


Spectrum

by Zojak



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Brief Cullen Cameos, Canon Compliant, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Mostly Platonic, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Post-Eclipse, Wolf Instincts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 142,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27880762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zojak/pseuds/Zojak
Summary: The Quileute werewolves of La Push have always had it hard, Leah Clearwater especially. Through heartbreak, emotional turmoil, and struggling to deal with her pack brothers, Leah stumbles through the events following the newborn battle.Post Eclipse. Wolf pack friendly. Critical of imprinting though it does happen.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> (Crossposted to Fanfiction.net)

_"Of all possessions, a friend is the most precious."_  
Herodotus

On any other night, the dusk sky over the usually dreary Washington would have struck awe in anyone. In the heart of photography's golden hour, the sky was painted with shades of orange and pink as they mixed with the natural blackness of the almost night sky in ways the Pacific Northwest had never displayed before, and may never display again. Mother Nature had crafted a perfectly serene scene, sparing the state from her usually rainy downpour over the area. Had it been any night but this, nobody in La Push would have denied the beauty and unforgettably gorgeous look of the surroundings.

But not tonight. Tonight was no ordinary night. Tonight would be different. It would be long remembered, most certainly, but not for the way the sky looked.

The sound of a glass bottle flying through the air broke the very brief quietness that had fallen over the area. The glass shattered on the nearby rocks, sending broken glass scattered across the grass, though leaving the bottle's target unharmed. Within a second, a poorly suppressed sob escaped the mouth of a distraught Native American teen, who frantically looked around her porch and immediate surroundings for something else she can throw.

"Please, just _listen_ to me for a second."

An unusually low voice cut through the air. The voice was panicked, and was accompanied by the gentle raising of his hand, outstretched. A futile attempt to mediate.

"I've heard _enough!_ Get out of here!"

"You're not letting me _explain_ -"

"I don't need your explanation! You've told me everything I need to know!"

"You're _still_ not listening, please, give me a few minutes-"

"Get outta my sight," the strained voice of Leah Clearwater choked out. She could hear that he was still talking, but the meaning behind his words were null and void. She didn't need to hear anything else. As far as she was concerned, everything that needed to be said was already on the table. Sam Uley was no longer her boyfriend. And worse yet, he wasn't telling her why. While he was cycling through an explanation that Leah was neglecting to listen to, she found every aspect of herself she could blame for it. There must have been something wrong, a chink in the armor, a fatal flaw. What else could it be? Something was wrong with her.

Or _Sam_ thought there was something wrong with her. The mere possibility alone caused rage to bubble inside of her, and she took it out on a flower pot, kicking it full force in his direction. Sam's explanation was cut off, and the sudden silence reminded Leah that he was still speaking. She didn't hear a single word of it. She was only vaguely aware of even the tone of voice he was speaking in.

Before anyone could save it, the flower pot cracked on the ground, spilling dirt and a young pine tree onto her rocks, a few feet from Ground Zero to the glass bottle. It was a simple notion, kicking the flower pot, but only after it cracked on the ground did she remember where she got it. It was an Arbor Day present from Sam himself. She remembered the day he brought it over, the idiotic smile he had on his face when he set it down on her table, the faltering firmness in his voice while he was insisting that Arbor Day was an important holiday, eventually overcome by laughs as he failed to keep a straight face. They had decorated the pot themselves with magic markers. Even Sue put her fingerprint on the bottom.

The very same pot that now lay shattered at the base of her steps, so close to Sam he might have accidentally stepped on it if he took so as much as one step forward. She looked up to meet his gaze again, not expecting him to be looking solemnly at the dying infantile pine tree. She knew he remembered where it came from, too. He may have been recalling the same story in his head.

"I get that you're upset, Leah, but you gotta calm down."

"Why should I even bother?"

"Because I think you're misunderstanding this situation. Big time. You just need to hear me out," Sam promised. Before Leah had time to reject his offer, he was already speaking again. "I just- I - I wish I was able to tell you what's going on, but I - I just can't. I want to, I promise, but I don't have a choice. I wish I did, Leah, but I don't."

"Just spit it out! What the fuck did I do wrong?"

"You haven't done anything wrong," Sam mediated. She could tell he was starting to tear up.

"Did you stop loving me? Is that what's wrong? Is that why you've been acting so dodgy and different recently?"

"I don't think I'll ever _stop_ loving you, Lee-lee."

"Did you find someone else? Did you find someone _better_ than me?" Leah was yelling in a tone she didn't recognize her own voice in. It was a dangerous mix of anger and sadness that got more vicious as the argument went on. Leah's question caused Sam to visibly stutter, and he hesitated for a second.

A mere second's hesitation would be his downfall. Leah's anger duplicated, and Sam knew he had to act fast.

"It's not what it looks like, I promise, please jus-"

"I've heard enough." Leah declared, turning her back to him. "Get off my property."

"I'm not leaving until I know you're okay."

"Oh yes you are. Get out before I find something sharp and metal."

Sam, not taking no for an answer, headed up her steps uninvited. He forcibly hugs her, his feverish warmth fending off the cold breeze of the evening. Normally, Leah would have welcomed this gesture wholeheartedly, but she was not in the mood for it now. She wasn't sure if she would ever be in the mood for it again. She was almost concerned by how warm the hug was, with it burning after a few seconds.

_"Why?"_

Leah's yelling was addressed to nobody in particular. She tried to pin down a moment where it all went wrong. She met him for breakfast that morning, did she say something wrong in the 25 minutes they were at the diner? He didn't _seem_ upset. Did she upset him on the car ride home? She remembered it being mostly quiet on the way back. Was he already mad by that point? Sue said hi to him, they had a short conversation.. did Sue say something? No, she couldn't have; she remembered seeing Sam smile at least twice. Emily stopped by for a while, did she upset him? Was she too-

 _Emily. Emily Young._ Her very own cousin. It couldn't possibly be anything else.

"You're _fucking unbelievable!_ You _and_ Emily can _both_ go to Hell!" Leah pushed him off, managing to completely dislodge him and free herself from his hug with the newfound strength borne from her anger.

"I - I can explain, p-please, just.." Sam's sentence went unfinished. Leah noticed that he was crying much more heavily than he was before. He was more upset than she had ever seen him before. His voice was already breaking, and Leah didn't know how much longer he had left until his voice vanished completely.

"Just go, Sam."

"I - I need you to understand that this wasn't my choice. I w-want things to be different."

"Then what's the damn problem?"

Sam audibly stuttered a few times. She could see the conflict on his face, whether or not it was a good idea to tell her. It was obvious at this point that there was something he wasn't telling her. He was keeping a secret from her. One that he clearly didn't want her to know. The only question now was whether or not he would reveal it in the end. Leah waited impatiently as he forced out a syllable or two at a time every few seconds.

"I can't tell you that."

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long has this thing with Emily been going on?"

"Listen, Leah, hear me out for just fifteen seconds, _please_ , I've never begged you for anything before, all I'm asking for is fifteen seconds to explain myself-"

"Save it." Leah's voice was definitive and firm, more stable than it was a few minutes prior. Her face was still coated with water from the eyes down, but she had found her voice at last. Sam was not so lucky. He spoke in what could almost be described as desperate blubbering.

"Gimme half a minute, fifteen seconds, ten seconds, just gimme something! It's not _like_ that, hear me out-"

"I'm not asking you again, Uley. _Leave_."

Sam wanted nothing more than to stay and clear his name. He didn't want to see Leah crying on her porch anymore, but he couldn't fix it. He was powerless in this scenario. She didn't want to see him, and the only thing that held the possibility of making her feel even the slightest bit better at this point was for him to get off her property and leave her alone. Without another word, he turned around and headed down her steps, passing the broken flower pot on his way out. Before his voice would have been too quiet to register, he turned back to Leah halfway.

"I wish that things could have been different between us."

Leah choked back a sob.

"Me too."

『••🌲••』

The golden hour of photography had been long surpassed. Leah lost track of time. All she could confirm was that it wasn't as bright as it was before. The humidity in the air and the smell of rain hinted that a storm was on the horizon, as was tradition in La Push. The sky had lost the yellow hues that permeated the horizon during her argument, but the pink highlights still held on to the engulfing black of the night. It was bright enough for Leah to see the vibrant colors of the sky. She noticed how beautiful it was outside for the first time. It didn't represent her mood. For the first time, she wished the sky was dark and dreary. How dare the _sky_ get to have the best day in years while Leah was stuck with one of the worst?

She certainly didn't feel like the sky seemingly wanted her to. She felt completely and utterly broken. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing was right. She kept waiting to wake up screaming, and roll over in her bed and pass it off as just another bad dream. But not this time. This was as real as it gets. Nobody was going to help her this time. The cold hard truth of the situation was right of front of her, waiting for her to process it. Her boyfriend had left her for her cousin and he was hiding something from her. And she had no boyfriend to comfort her for it. She was well and truly alone.

For the first time in a very long time, Leah was well and truly scared for the future. She can't remember the last time she felt so helplessly depressed and totally inconsolable.

She had to be strong, though. Tomorrow she couldn't show anyone how bad tonight hurt her. She was strong. She was Leah Clearwater. There were people counting on her. People she cared about. And she wouldn't let them down.

It was around this point Leah realized how thirsty she was, having cried out most of her internal water supply. She took a deep breath and forced strength into her legs, just enough to raise her from the ground and find her footing. She took a tentative step forward, her energy seemingly drained entirely. Trying to focus on her thirst over her pain, she headed over to her door, and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes. The last thing she needed was to show her family how upset she was, and her red eyes would have been a dead giveaway.

She took a final deep breath and pulled the door open. She head through her backdoor and almost immediately into a crushing bear hug.

"Did he hurt you?"

The voice came fast, worried, stressed. Protective. _Seth Clearwater_.

Leah struggled out of his hug, leaving her little brother without a response. His unannounced embrace reminded Leah too much of Sam's surprise hug only 15 minutes before, and her immediate instinct was to push him off. Leah wished she could redo that day and not break away from his hug, because she saw how much it hurt Seth when she angrily squirmed away from him. She wished she could redo so many things about that day.

Leah pushed on into the family room, which she would need to cross to get to the kitchen. Sue and Harry were worriedly waiting in the room. They were standing close together, and they stood up slowly when she entered. She could tell they wanted to say something, but were going to wait for her to put in the first word. They had the TV muted, or on a very low volume; Leah couldn't tell, her hearing was still a little blurred by emotion. It's something her family usually never does. It looked like evening news was on. Leah pushed on.

When it become clear that Leah had no interest in talking first, Sue delicately spoke up.

"Is everything okay, Lee?"

"No." Leah replied flatly.

"Did you have a fight with Sam?"

"We broke up." Leah replied equally flatly, with a touch of bitterness. Sue immediately took in air, and Harry's eyes widened, striking her parents speechless. Everyone in the room assumed that Leah and Sam would be together until the heat death of the universe. Nothing could ever separate the two. The concept that the two had broken up with almost no warning was virtually impossible to them. It wasn't even a possibility.

"W-what?" Seth called from behind her, dumbly. He seemed to have a hard time processing it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked quietly.

"Leave me alone," Leah begged. She finally arrived in the kitchen, under the watchful eyes of Seth. She wanted to be completely alone and isolated, but she allowed Seth to trail her anyways because her love overpowered her spite. She took a long drink out of the closest bottle for 8 seconds straight, draining it completely. Only after she screwed the cap back on to recycle it did she notice that the bottle was marked with an S on the top with a Sharpie.

_Great. First I reject his hug and then I steal his water. How else can I ruin his day?_

Leah recycled the bottle anyways, and crosses the house again wordlessly. Seth trails her across the house, but leaves her at the door as she continued on outside. Leah sat back down at her spot at the top of the stairs, the adrenaline dulling and leaving pure, unfiltered pain in its wake. The bleakness of the future persisted in her mind like a black neon sign. A mosquito buzzed around her perched on her knee.

 _Drink up_ , she thought. The mosquito didn't bother her as much as it would have yesterday. Yesterday, she would have rained hellfire on the mosquito and shown it no mercy. Today, she hoped it would somehow suck every last drop of her blood out of her body and leave her dead on the porch. It would be the only way for her to physically match the emptiness her heart felt.

She looked absentmindedly at the broken glass on the rocks. She could only hope that an especially dumb bird didn't pick it up and feed it to her chicks, because she sure as hell wasn't sweeping up the pieces tonight. She was busy sweeping up the pieces of herself. Her eyes glided a few feet to the right where she spotted the broken flower pot. Sue's fingerprint was visible on one of the broken pieces, bright enough to almost glow in the darkness of her surroundings. Leah felt tempted to leave it there and let it wither and die, but before she could brainstorm another reason for the tree to die, she was already on her feet, bounding over to the tree.

_I'm not letting Sam Uley destroy two lives today._

Leah dusted the broken flower pot pieces around, fishing for the pine tree fern, barely old enough to sprout. She cradled it once she found it, hoping it was still alive. She returned to the steps, holding the young tree in her hand as she turned it over in her hands.

The tree would live, she decided. The tree was one of the things she had left of Sam. The tree was going to be just fine.

She wasn't so sure about herself, on the other hand. She had never been through anything of this nature before, that she could remember. She would never completely heal from the events that took place that night. They would reappear when she wanted the memories the least, and they would follow her night and day to torment her. One of the lowest points of her life had been set into motion, and she wasn't quite sure she was ready for it. It was her first heartbreak. Her future looked so dim she worried if she would ever be okay again.

For the first time that night, as the pink highlights were claimed and swallowed by the hungry night, the dark, starless sky finally matched the way she felt inside.


	2. Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no research you need to do to prepare outside of reading Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. Breaking Dawn is optional as the story takes place during it. There'll likely be some small plotholes here and there because it's honestly been a while since I've actually read the books, but I promise that I'm trying my best. The only major divergence from canon at the beginning is that I removed Quil's imprint on Claire, mostly because it's creepy.
> 
> With that done and solved, thank you for taking a chance on this story, and I hope you enjoy the first "real" chapter.

Something had woken Leah up.

She didn't know what, and after a few seconds, she decided it very well could've been nothing at all. She quickly determined that nobody was in the room, which used to be a possibility before Seth grew out of coming into her room at ungodly hours of the night complaining of bad dreams. Her home was quiet, which she could verify with werewolf hearing, so there was no intruder to speak of. It could have been as simple as a forgettable dream that her brain immediately purged the records to upon waking. Whatever the cause, Leah was awake now, and she tilted her neck to check the time.

_4:42 AM_

Far too late to do anything about it now. She'd been known to force herself back to sleep right up until 4:30 in the morning, but now the barrier had been crossed and there was no compromising it. There was no way Leah was getting back to sleep. Not now. She didn't quite want to get up yet, though. The idea of facing yet another day didn't exactly fill her with energy. Today least of all. Today was a day she was dreading ever since it was close enough for her mother Sue to mark on the monthly calendar she laid out on the fridge.

August 13th. The day Bella Swan was set to become Bella Cullen.

The thought alone was enough for Leah to moan. She couldn't stand the idea of the Cullen Empire growing any bigger than it already was. Later that day, the Cullens would gain another member in name. Very soon, they would gain another member in species. Leah didn't even like Bella all too much and there was still pity for her choice. This was open betrayal of the human race. Most vampires didn't choose to become what they became, but Bella did. Perhaps her human friends and family would be none the wiser, but every supernatural being in the audience knew exactly what the ceremony was and what it stood for.

It meant that Bella was so madly in love with this leech, she will willingly desert her closest friends and family in order to be with him. Forever.

The idea appalled Leah. She couldn't even fathom the idea of leaving her family for good in favor of a man she met barely a year before, no matter how madly in love her hormones convinced her she was. You only get one family, and Leah was very satisfied with hers. She had a mother who gave her everything, sometimes at her own expense, and a brother who loved her almost unconditionally. She was lucky enough to have shared as much time as she did with a father like Harry Clearwater. Even though she knew exceptionally little about the inner workings of the relationship between Bella and Charlie Swan, she could at the very least assume that it was strong enough to withstand something as absurd as this.

Leah was wrong about quite a few things, it seemed. In twelve hours, Bella would change her name and take off with her undead husband, likely never to see her human friends and family again, and quite possibly her werewolf ones as well.

It would also be the moment she would officially, though unspoken, declare her allegiance to the bloodsuckers, now and forevermore. Leah had never been one to seek approval or validation from people, much less from the likes of Bella Swan, but there was no denying the sting she felt to see Bella take advantage of the wolf pack's hospitality and friendship, only to toss it out the nearest open window in favor of Edward Cullen, of all people.

Sufficiently worked up over her train of thought, she figured it was a good a time as any to drag herself out of bed to burn off the extra energy she gained through thinking about things that angered her. She landed near silently on the ground and equally silently floated out of her room. She passed near every room in the house before arriving in the kitchen, opting to make some sort of nighttime beverage to tie her thirst over until a more reasonable hour to eat breakfast.

Leah grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and unscrewed the cap, wondering what she could do with it. She poured some nearby food coloring in to it, so at the very least, she could pretend it was something that actually held flavor. She took a sip, noting how her efforts were in vain. Leah added a dash of salt into the water to make it less bland, something she distantly remembered doing rather often.

_Sam used to drink his water with salt in it,_ a faraway spot of Leah's mind called. _Oh, right._ Plain water was too boring for Sam, according to him. He always had to drink it with a touch of salt in it to make it easier to choke down. Plain water was too bland for him to drink, in his own words. _Of course it was. That's so like him._

Leah shook her head violently, briefly upset that everything, even small and trivial stuff, still seemed to remind her of Sam. All it was was adding salt to water. Angrily, she took a sip of it. The familiar taste brought back small waves of nostalgia to better times. Saltwater concoctions plagued the memories of her last few months with her holding the "Sam's girlfriend" position. They used to make it in her kitchen and drink them well after sunset on her porch, talking about whatever meaningless topic could come to mind. The game would be to finish it all before the mosquitoes came to drink it.

Leah violently shook her head a second time, trying to rock the memories out of her head. _Can't go back, Leah. Move on. It's just a drink to keep you awake._

"A little early to be up, eh?"

Leah spun around a hundred miles an hour.

"Only a bit earlier than when I usually do anywa- what're _you_ doing up, mom?"

"You weren't exactly moving about quiet as a church mouse," Sue explained. "I heard you open the fridge and watched you make this.. this thing. What exactly is it?"

"I'm not sure," Leah answered, keeping her voice down as not to risk waking Seth. "It's red spicy water. Want some?"

There came a pause afterwards. Her mother seemed to be contemplating whether it would be wise to accept a mysterious drink her daughter may or may not have prepared angrily before five in the morning, on a Sunday, no less.

"Sure," her mother finally decided, smiling. Leah poured some of it out into a nearby glass, which Sue picked up and clinked against Leah's bottle. The sound was minuscule, but the gesture was accepted. "What brings you to my kitchen in the early hours of the morning?"

"Nothing better to do," Leah responded.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing at all."

"You'd rather stay up drinking spicy red water in the kitchen?"

"Apparently."

"This beats sleeping? The sun won't rise for another hour."

"Well if the sun gets thirsty it can have some red spicy water, too."

"It's not bad," Sue commented. She didn't quite know what to say to Leah.

"Better not be, I made it myself."

"Any reason you're up this early?"

"Woke up maybe ten minutes ago."

"I see," Sue replied. The atmosphere was exceptionally awkward. Sue was the only one actively instigating a conversation, and it was hard to keep a conversation going with no fuel to go off of. _And they say talking to your kids is supposed to be easy._ "Are you going to the wedding tonight?"

"You wouldn't catch me dead at that wedding," Leah spat.

"Your brother and I will be there, and we'd appreciate your company."

"Well I hope you two are safe, going into a room full of our natural born enemies."

"We'll be fine, but we'd like you to be there, too."

"Why, exactly?"

"It'd just be nice to have you there, that's all," Sue shrugged.

"Don't count on it, alright mom? I'll be there in spirit."

"You better be," Sue mock threatened before laughing. "Wouldn't wanna risk waking Seth, now." She placed her cup in the sink and bound off into the other room, leaving Leah alone with her thoughts and her dyed saltwater. She turned towards the sink, noticing the plant they kept in the corner of the counter.

A young pine tree. The very same pine tree that had crumbled to the ground following Leah's outburst all those months ago. The tree had survived with water and fresh soil. Leah and Sue decided to keep it indoors until it was old enough to be planted outside without getting flattened in the harsh Washington rain and wind.

Leah topped off her bottle, recycling it and deciding to head outside to her porch to watch the sun rise over the trees. She knew it would be an hour or so until it happened, but she figured she had all the time in the world to waste, and she certainly had nowhere better to be other than in her kitchen sharing red saltwater glasses with her mother.

The air was cold and crisp when she left the house, but that was alright with her. She propped up against her signature railing, watching the backyard.

The next thing Leah remembered was waking up, the sun suddenly brighter, but only bright enough to illuminate the backyard, not bright enough to cast a decent shadow. Leah concluded that she must have fallen asleep despite promising her mother she wasn't tired. Leah wasn't sure where the sudden tiredness came from, but there was no denying that the sun had rose a considerable bit, meaning that Leah had missed the sunrise over the trees, which had been her original mission to begin with. A little upset and annoyed, Leah picked up a nearby pebble and flung it across the porch, before getting up.

Walking across her porch and opening the back door, she crashed into Seth while he was coming outside.

"Oops, sorry," Leah mumbled, dusting imaginary specks off his shoulder. She noticed then he was holding a plate with a hastily scrambled egg on it. It didn't look like much, and she assumed it was only one or two eggs total. He always had a problem with cracking eggs, and she figured if he tried to make any more, there'd be yolks and broken egg shells all over the kitchen floor and counter. Werewolves weren't famous for their gentleness.

"I made these for you," Seth said. "Mom taught me how."

"Thanks."

Leah took the egg from him, near dropping the fork when he faultily tried to hand it over. The egg didn't look very appetizing, she had to admit, but she didn't want to risk upsetting her brother by spitting out his gift right in front of him. She returned to her trademark sitting spot on the top of her steps, with Seth following and sliding down directly across from her on the other side. Slowly, she took a bite of what was on her plate and choked it down.

_He ain't a great cook, but the heart was there._

Seth watched her wordlessly.

"I can feel your eyes on me."

"Guilty," Seth replied, caught in the act. "Something's on your mind."

The kid had a supernatural sense for that, Leah swore. He didn't force her to say anything, but she could tell he really wanted her to. Leah finished the singular egg that Seth had prepared, setting the plate on the porch. She cast a quick glance up to check on Seth, only to notice that his eyes were still on her, watching her protectively. His eyes hinted that he was vaguely worried about her, more so because of her silence. Leah aimed her eyes back down, feeling guilty just looking at him. Before Leah was forced to give in to her brother's prodding eyes, his phone rang, with Leah assuming the obvious caller.

She never thought the day would come she was relieved to get a call from Bella Swan.

"Gotta take this," Seth grumbled. He wasn't angry, but his voice sounded like a low grumble regardless. Bella had started calling Seth directly on his wireless phone now. She used to send calls to the landline day after day, but stopped out of fear of Leah answering the phone, because Leah continuously tried to set her straight. Bella started avoiding the landline altogether, making sure that if she was going to do it at all, it had better be Seth who answered the phone.

Seth floated over to the middle of the lawn where he finally answered the phone after two and a half rings.

"Yello?" Seth greeted, his voice still laced with sleep. You could call Seth in the middle of the night and he would still answer in an amiable tone. "Yeah, it's only a little early, but nothing world-crumbling, earth-shattering." Seth smiled, even though he knew Bella couldn't see him. He was truly something else. Leah, only hearing one side of the conversation, still knew precisely what it's about.

"Yeah, it's been pretty quiet. Nothing for almost a week now."

Their missing werewolf friend. Jacob Black.

"Nothing coherent, anyways," Seth continued. "Nothing you'd be interested in, to correct," Seth rambled nervously. Leah could tell that Bella wasn't even speaking and yet Seth kept anxiously correcting himself by adding on sentence fragments. "Well, unless you're interested in the kinda primal things that runs through Jake's head while living with a new pack," Seth continued. Bella had hardly spoke one word before Seth continued on. "A new pack, I mean, different from the one I mentioned last week ago. Did I mention it last week? He bounces around a lot, like when -"

It seems Bella had finally cut his nervous tangent off. Seth's habit of nervous rambling was off the walls at times.

"I don't think he's coming back, Bella," Seth spoke quieter and solemner. Leah realized that she was actually quite engaged in a phone conversation she wasn't even taking part in. What was said between Seth and Bella over the phone wasn't particularly her business. "I hope so, too. We miss 'im." Leah wondered why she even cared. She wasn't going to the wedding and she didn't care for Jacob. "I'll see you at the wedding, yeahyeah! Thanks again for inviting us. That was cool of you. ... Alright, see you there. Bye!"

Seth waited for Bella to hang up the call, not wanting to do it himself. Seth put his phone back in his pocket and bound back over to Leah.

"I can't believe I just said _last week ago,_ " Seth commented, scolding himself while sliding back down the railing to sit across from Leah again. "Anyways.. you were upset about something. Right?" Seth's voice came out as a statement. He _knew_ something was bothering her. It was his sixth sense to tell exactly when those around him weren't feeling optimal. Leah sighed, knowing that there was no way she was gonna clear Detective Clearwater on this case.

"Yeah. Something is."

"D'you wanna talk about it?"

"Not exactly," Leah responded. Seth appeared a little sad to hear this. Leah promptly stood up and hugged him, messing his hair up a little. "Thanks for the offer, though. Would you mind throwing your egg plate out?"

"'Course not," Seth said, picking up the plate and vanishing into the house.

It wasn't exceptionally late into the morning, but it was late enough for it to be the normal time where Leah would start looking for something to do for the day, or for the hour, or even the minute. She glanced around her empty porch, seeing nothing of potential for an activity. She almost wished to be on patrol just to have something to do.

As if reading her wishes, a rustling in the shrubbery that connected her backyard to the forested areas could be heard. It was too loud to be considered a mammal, large or small. The rustling sounded calculated, intelligent, purposeful. Human. Or, at least partially human.

A familiar face burst through the brush at the far edge of the Clearwater home in some sort of dramatic entrance. Leah was amused by the boy's entrance, and tried hard not to let the amusement show on the outside.

"And good morning to you too, Quil."

"Good morning, m'lady," Quil accentuated, tipping an imaginary hat on his head. "I come with a gift."

"Oh?" Leah questioned. "And pray tell, what may that gift be?"

"I have it right here," Quil started, dramatically. He dug his hand into his pocket, and slowly revealed something flat and white. Once Leah's vision was starting to focus on it, Quil moved it full force towards the sky in a swift motion. "S'just the patrol schedule."

"Come _on_ , Quil," Leah said, rolling her eyes. The way Quil was playing it up, she expected him to pull the Holy Grail out of his pocket and hand it to her as a gift. The patrol schedule seemed to be hastily penciled on an index card. Leah snatched it from his hands after he was close enough. Quil only smiled.

"Sam could only be assed to write it once, so it's being passed around the entire pack," Quil explained, laughing lightly. It was then Leah noticed that it was slightly worn around the edges. She wondered how many pack members had handled the index card before it landed in her hands.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Quil_   
_6am - 9am / Embry, Collin_   
_9am - 12pm / Embry, Brady_   
_12pm - 6pm / Leah, Seth_   
_6pm - 12am / Jared, Paul_

"But really, I have an actual gift," Quil's voice broke through the air.

Leah's curiosity rose as Quil took out a muffin. There were blue dots in it and small translucent crystals were sprinkled over the top. A blueberry muffin, no doubt about it. Normally, Leah would have eaten it instantly.

"It's a muffin!" Quil announced excitedly, as if Leah was legally blind. Quil was the only boy she knew who could exclaim something as boring as that in a jumpy and excitable tone. As enthusiastic as Quil seemed about the blueberry muffin he was offering her, she knew there was only one possible chef that could have prepared it.

_Emily Young, boyfriend-stealing extraordinaire, apprentice to the Muffin Man._

"Keep it, it's yours," Leah said, almost bitterly. There was no way Leah was going to consume anything prepared by Emily, no matter how contagious Quil's happiness and muffin enthusiasm seemed to be.

"Are you sure?" Quil asked. "It's a pretty good muffin."

"Positively sure. I already ate."

With that, Quil took a monstrously large bite off the top of the muffin, decapitating it.

"If you insist." Quil's smile was just as contagious as his enthusiasm, though both would be powerless against the iron Leah Clearwater. "I'll see ya later, then."

"See you."

Quil was still eating the muffin by the time he reached the edge of the property. He was simply ecstatic that he got to eat two of Emily's muffins that day. Before completely leaving earshot, he turned back to her, deciding he had something else to say.

"Lighten up a little, a'ight?"

"Yeah, whatever."

With that, Quil finished off the muffin and stuffed the wrapper into the pocket that cradled the patrol schedule minutes before. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to keep the patrol schedule or if Quil was being clumsy and forgetful by leaving it with her. She wouldn't put either past him. Long after Quil left the property, his words rang in his head.

_Lighten up a little._

『••🍳••』

Werewolf dynamics were strange and irrational things.

Who was the wise guy who thought it was practical for the wolves to share a mind? It made things much more awkward and taboo at all times. Sharing a pack mind was a quick and easy way for Leah to make sure she was annoying the hell out of Seth at all times. Leah's thoughts were always jagged and pointy, and couldn't have been pleasant for anyone to share for 6 continuous hours. Leah had been paired with every wolf in the pack at least once, sometimes twice, and every wolf without fail would go crying to Sam about how they couldn't stand to be in Leah's head for a second longer. Her thoughts were insufferable. Rage would fly out of nowhere and unannounced hatred would surface without warning. Any wolf who dared remind Leah that they were still there and listening would have all anger redirected to them, and make for an unpleasant time. Nobody could handle it except Leah's own flesh and blood.

Leah felt extraordinarily guilty for the way she drove her pack brothers to the brink of insanity, but nothing compared to the guilt she felt for putting Seth through the wringer day after day, with no reasonable escape. Seth was the only one equipped to handle Leah's mental state, and he was therefore her unofficially permanent partner. He was the person she had no other choice but to take all her mental anger out on, with him being the unlucky subject. Leah felt terrible for the way her thoughts treated him.

Patrol was almost over. Leah and Seth were in the home stretch. There wasn't much left to do, and Leah wasn't sure they would even make two more circuits around before Jared and Paul would come in and let them go off duty. Seth had a wedding to prepare for, in any case, and he would need more time than Leah.

A distant grunt sounded through the pack mind. Quiet enough to fade into white noise but loud enough to hear and register. The periodic reminder that no wolves on patrol are ever really alone. There was always the gentle presence of a third pack member in the back of the pack mind. The gentle presence of Jacob Black.

Every so often, Seth would try to reach out to Jacob and ask him basic questions, like if he's there, if he's okay, if he's taking care of himself. Seeing his intentions through the pack mind, his questions were always intercepted and blocked by Leah.

_Shh, leave him be, Seth._

Seth whined but quieted anyways. The cycle would repeat every forty-five minutes.

Another grunt cut through the pack mind. The noises Jacob was making was coming through clearer. Much clearer than it had been the night before. They wondered if he had floated closer to Washington in between the day before and now. Jacob appeared to be running. Not only were his noises more clear, but his thoughts were more readable and less garbled. Less primal and more _human_. Less distant than they usually were. Odd to say the least, but nothing worthy of mention.

That is, until Leah noticed the distinct smell of wolf crossing her path. The scent was still faraway, probably farther from Leah than Leah was to Seth. It could've been twice the distance. After two minutes, Leah felt inclined to reach out to her brother to see if he also noticed it.

_Seth, that you?_

_Is what me?_

_The other wolf. Surely you can smell it, too._

_It ain't me, sis. You and I are far enough apart. We must be a few miles, I think. I could hear it but I thought it was you. I guess it's not._ There came a small silence. It was unlike Seth to be quiet. _Is someone else phased? I don't hear anyone in the pack mind..._

_No, it's just us. I can feel that much._

_You don't think-?_

_It can't be. No._

_Ah, but it is._ The voice didn't belong to Leah or Seth. They almost didn't recognize it at first.

_Jacob?_

_Jacob!_

_Hey, Leah. Hey, kid._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter of the bunch, and it'll probably stay that way, at only 4,000 words or so. Thanks for readin', continue if you dare! I promise the story picks up from here, the exposition is always the hardest and slowest part. (Though I did love writing for Seth.)


	3. Oath

_... and mom and Charlie Swan are kind of a thing now and Embry and Quil missed you so much and Quil got a fish too and it's really cute and I missed you a lot too and everyone's been worried about you and Bella's been calling everyday asking about you and Sam and Emily will be so excited and -_

Seth almost needed a Beta command just to get him to quiet his excited ramblings down and relax.

_Alright, alright, kid, I promise we can catch up later, but I got something to get ready for first._

_Oh?_

_My best friend's wedding._

_Oh right. Bella's wedding._

Leah felt a little bothered to hear Bella's name at all, much less to be reminded of her wedding. The gathering of everybody she didn't like into one place normally wouldn't have bothered her if her mother and little brother weren't going to be in attendance. With so many vampires in the audience, she was worried sick over their safety, which she couldn't monitor. She knew for a fact that at least one of the Cullens was extremely edgy around blood of any kind, and she certainly wasn't eager to place some of the most important people in her life in close proximity with them for an hours-long ceremony. For all she knew, a leech could come up behind Seth in a dark corner of the room and squeeze him flat while sucking the blood straight out of his neck like a Capri-Sun.

_Graphic._

_You can come if you want, sis, you are invited. I promise nobody is gonna drink me like a Capri-Sun._

_You're missing the point, Seth. I don't want you there at all. Now that Jacob is back and attending, you don't even need to be Bella's stand-in best man anymore._

_Actually_ , Jacob's voice began. _I - I don't think I can bring myself to attend the ceremony, y'know? Watching the girl I love get married to a bloodsucker I can't stand from six feet away isn't my idea of a good time. That sounds like my personal hell, actually, and I.. I don't want part in it._

Small but noticeable jealousy persisted through Jacob's mind at the thought of Seth being Bella's stand-in best man. Such jealousy would be difficult to hide from the pack mind though, and before Jacob could attempt to patch the leak, he could already sense an apology forming in Seth's thoughts.

_Don't bother, kid. It's not really your fault. It's just hard to convince the rest of me on that. Just don't make a move on her or you're dead._

_Would you be chill on patrol alone for a few minutes, Leah? I need get ready myself._

_Sure, sure. Go on. I'll see you before you leave,_ Leah allowed, her voice oddly bitter.

_Sorry, sis, I'll make it up to ya. Love ya!_

And with that, Seth's voice vanished. Jacob wasn't far behind, without so as much as a goodbye. Jacob hasn't been human in weeks, maybe months, and when he finally phases back, he acts like he just can't wait to get out of Leah's head. The ultimate insult. Leah couldn't help but feel a little offended by it. She didn't even _like_ Jacob that much and she felt sidelined by his lack of a parting phrase. It bothered her more than it should have.

For the first time in months, it was truly silent for Leah in the pack mind. The silence was comforting for Leah, even more so for the Leah-wolf. True seclusion pleased the Leah-wolf very much, and it immediately attempted to push control of the mind. Without another werewolf keeping the pack mind in check with human thoughts, the wolves within them would run wild with primal desires. Leah fought to keep the Leah-wolf under control.

She only had to struggle against it for a matter of minutes before her savior came in the form of Jared Cameron.

_Jared, never been so happy to see you._

_I'm flattered._ Jared was silent for a few seconds, Leah's comment sweeping away his train of thought. He eventually remembered that he was supposed to carry a message on from Sam. _Oh, right - Seth, you're free to go. Sam's given you the royal pardon._

_A bit late for that, Jared. He left already, five or so minutes ago._

_Yeah, your memories can tell me that much._ His voice was rushed and excited. He knew. _I can't wait to see 'im, it's been so long! Where's he at, do you know?_

_Nothing but guesses._

_I think we should tell Sam. ASAP. This is huuuge!_

_Take it easy, Cameron. I'm off patrol and you're not, so I'll head over and tip him off and you stay here and do your patrol, a'ight? I'm practically already on my way._

_On your way for what, precisely?_ Another voice. The fashionably late Paul Lahote.

_On my way to Sam's._

_Ha! What could you possibly need to be doing over at - holy shit!_

_Mhm._

_That's crazy, sheesh._

_Pass on my hello to him for me? I'm stuck on patrol until midnight, so uh.._

_Fine, Jared._

_Mine too, mine too!_ Leah moaned.

_Fine, you too, Paul. I'm out._

_By-_

Not wanting to suffocate inside the brains of two teenage boys any longer, Leah phased back, cutting off Jared's goodbye. Leah made the 3 minute trek back to her house from there. It was a bit longer than her usual journey, but being trapped inside a mind shared between two of her pack brothers wasn't her idea of optimal time spent. She arrived home soon enough, and she would have rather traveled in the woods than as a wolf. There, her temporary outfit would be waiting for her where she left it on her railing. She changed hastily in her backyard, checking the time.

_5:57_

Not only were Jared and Paul early, but they let her off patrol early as well. It was merely a matter of minutes, but they were appreciated minutes nonetheless. She knew they had nothing better to do and were probably itching for a distraction anyways. It wasn't hard to assume that neither one would be attending the wedding. Most of the pack had grown a little distant to Bella ever since she grew closer yet to the Cullens, solemnly worrying about possible treaty violations that may come with the marriage; the least they could do was not attend the wedding to celebrate the circumstances aligning for it. All of the pack members remained a little clingy to their feelings of friendship towards Bella, but the reality of the situation clashed with their nostalgic attachments and they didn't want to attend a wedding that would be a hotspot for that kind of internal conflict.

Leah took a deep breath and started off in the direction of Sam's.

She'd barely been walking 90 seconds before, while heading down the road, Leah noticed two of her _other_ pack brothers heading in her direction in the form of Quil and Embry. Both were evidently looking for a distraction as well, proven by the fact Quil was holding a basketball, messily dribbling it every few steps. The sound of the basketball colliding with the ground was the only noise that sounded as the pair approached. It wasn't like them to be quiet with each other, they were usually talking a mile a minute. It wasn't long before Leah was spotted.

"Hey, Leah!" Embry called out.

"Hiya."

Quil looked up then as well, calling out an excited greeting to Leah. Both Quil and Embry gave their signature dumb smiles that near forced her to smile back. It was hard not to take joy in the company of Quil and Embry. Leah pondered whether or not she should tell them about Jacob's return. On one hand, they'd likely find out soon enough, and telling them would probably create a sense of strong desire to see him, when they'd have to wait until after the wedding to see him at all.

On the other hand, looking at the innocence in their idiotic smiles, Leah decided that she owed them enough to not let them believe their best friend was gone any longer. _They deserve that much peace of mind._

"I got some good news for you both."

"Oh?"

Leah took a deep breath. "Jacob is back."

The words hit them like a sixteen wheeler. Quil froze, letting the basketball bounce three times before he scrambled to pick it up. Quil's sudden motion converted all potential energy into kinetic energy, riling them up tenfold. In an instant, Leah had two extremely hyperactive Quileute teens on her hands.

_"Ohmygod!"_

_"No kidding?"_

_"Is he really?"_

_"What's he doing?"_

_"Why's he back?"_

_"When?"_

_"Where is he now?"_

"Settle down, settle down! One at a time," Leah said. "I don't know where he is."

"Give us a hint, please? _Pleeeease?"_ Embry begged. "Last place you saw him?"

"I technically haven't 'seen' him yet, but I know that he phased with Seth. I know he'll be getting ready for the wedding because he said he was gonna go, but I'm not sure if he went back to his own house or if he trailed Seth back to mine. I didn't hear either one when I was there when I changed outside. Maybe they were just bein' quiet. That's all I really know," Leah answered.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!-" Quil called out, running off. Leah pushed on.

Leah was beginning to have second thoughts about telling Sam. He would figure out soon enough. Hell, if Sam really wanted Jacob back so desperately, he'd have Alpha ordered him back to La Push weeks ago. Leah wasn't obligated to tell Sam by any means. Sam was a big boy, he could figure things out by himself. Quil and Embry would be happy to tell him, Leah was sure. They would probably be happy to tell the cashier at the supermarket who didn't even know Jacob, they were so fired up. Seth would break the news to him if they didn't. Billy Black would probably stop by and let Sam know right after Jacob left anyways. The only real thing tying her to telling Sam at all was the promise she made to Jared and Paul. She contemplated whether it was worth it to break that promise.

Ill-paying attention to where she was walking, Leah was almost struck in the head by a bright disk.

"Heyo, Leah!" Collin called out while running towards her.

_Is there a parade on this street I don't know about?_

The bright disk turned out to be a neon Aerobie, hastily thrown off course by Brady. Both Collin and Brady had dumb smiles of their own that were noticeably different from Quil and Embry's. _It's as if there's no shortage of dumbness in the Quileute boys._ Leah picked up the Aerobie and threw it back to Collin before he had to come too close.

"Try to keepit in _this_ county, Brady!" Collin yelled some thirty yards to Brady, running back to him.

Leah knew it would've been very easy and simple to tell them about Jacob's return. She could've done it in four syllables and been done with it, and counted it as practice for what she would say to Sam in ten minutes or less. She eventually conceded that Collin and Brady didn't need to get themselves worked up over it or worry about something they didn't need to. It's knowledge they could go without until the time was right. After all, the dangerous mix of distress and eustress upon hearing about his return would've ruined their game of Aerobie. Leah wasn't going to do that to them, despite her small aversion to Collin due to his unsubtle feelings towards her.

Besides, if Brady's throw was that off _without_ stress, Leah didn't want to picture where the Aerobie would end up _with_ it. Stuck in a tree halfway around the world, possibly. She didn't doubt that Brady had actually flung the Aerobie into the next county once or twice, as per Collin's warning.

When the Uley residence entered Leah's field of view in the distance, Leah found herself hesitating. She didn't really want to tell him. Never before had dumping one of Jared's promises felt so appealing to her. Leah was very close to bailing.

"Ay, Leah!"

 _Dammit_. She couldn't just pack up and leave now. She's been spotted. _Why did I think this was a good idea?_

"Stay put, wouldya? I just gotta put something away real quick, I'll be right down!"

_Just kill me. Toss me off the nearest bridge and let me drown._

There came a rustling in the house. Ten seconds passed.

_Take your time, please._

"Howdy," Sam called satirically, coming around the house's left side. He wasn't wearing a shirt, as was the apparent custom for the werewolf boys.

_Why doesn't anything ever go my way?_

"What brings you here, Leah?"

_Yeah, I'm asking that same question to myself._

"Just wanted to give you some.. news," Leah said, speaking up for the first time. "The big scoop, so to speak. Happened just while I was on patrol."

Sam looked at her eagerly, though firmly. The face of a curious Alpha.

"Jacob is back."

Sam was silent for several seconds after Leah spoke, though it was evident to anyone with eyes that he was trying to contain his surprise and excitement. Leah especially was skilled at decoding Sam's facial cues, but still words failed her. She could tell it was the last news he expected to hear out of her mouth at that moment.

"Where is he? Can I see him?" Sam's voice came through a little rushed and quick, as a byproduct to his excitement.

"I don't really know for certain where he is," Leah said. "Though I have a decent idea of where he _will_ be."

"Where?" Sam asked. Leah near face palmed.

"Bella's wedding, detective."

"Right, right.." Sam said. It was visible he was a little embarrassed for needing it spelled out. "Well, as someone who spent two weeks straight in wolf form once, I can tell you truly that the phase back to human will leave you.. disorderly, to say the least. I am not sure he will head straight to the wedding like that. He'll need to clean up first. That leaves the most likely place for him to be back at his own house."

"Agreed, though he said he's not attending the ceremony. He won't need to clean up _too_ much."

"That's a relief," Sam began. "I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with Seth _and_ Jacob in a room full of vampires. It's bad enough that Seth is in the middle of it all."

"I tried to convince Seth otherwise. He won't budge."

"Not a problem." Sam started off towards the road. He had traveled about ten feet before he realized that Leah wasn't following. "You coming?"

Leah wondered whether she should. On one hand, walking alongside Sam a half mile back to Jacob's shack didn't sound very appealing, and could cause her to uncontrollably cry at any time, and she didn't quite feel like seeing Jacob, especially not right before running off to the wedding that would add another tally under the Cullen clan. On the other hand, she had nothing better to do, and she can't exactly loiter on the Uley property without any Uleys home. Additionally, she promised Jared and Paul she would pass their hellos on to Jacob while they were stuck on patrol.

 _I almost broke that promise not three minutes ago, it's not exactly ironclad,_ Leah thought. _But I'm bored as hell. Give it your best, Uley._

"Alright. Count me in." Leah carefully joined him by his side. "Would you at least put a shirt on, though? You're not trying to scare him, are you?"

Leah amused herself by her own joke, enough to make her smile a tad. It was precisely the type of lighthearted humor that had filled her relationship with Sam, and the memory that Sam was still unconditionally in love with her now-least favorite person on the planet brought her down. She tried to remind herself not to rely on it always being as relatively nice between her and Sam as it was in that moment.

Sam only rolled his eyes, though, suppressing a smile, grabbing a sleeveless shirt off a nearby log.

"Eurgh. Did you leave that in the rain last night? S'probably got termites in it or something. How clean even _is_ that?" Leah asked, visibly disgusted. Sam grinned.

"Probably not very."

『••✎••』

Seth was too far to make trying to flag him down worth it. He was at least a mile, could've been two. Maybe even further than that. In any case, Jacob wasn't about to follow this kid back to his house and ask to borrow clothes. The two of them weren't that close, as much as Seth wanted them to be. Instead, Jacob head back to his own house. After all, his father would probably want to see him, though he had trouble remembering where his house is, his human mind having been at rest for weeks on end.

Jacob was aware that he was rushing. He couldn't ask anyone to give him a ride to the wedding, because it would need to be a surprise to have the full effect. He would have to get there on foot, he decided. Without phasing. He couldn't tear the clothes, and he couldn't change right outside; it was an outdoor wedding. At least that's what the invitation said. Or what Jacob _thought_ it said. He didn't get that close a look at it before the Jacob-wolf decided it had seen enough. Jacob would also need to get there at a slow enough pace to not sweat through the clothes or get him tired, but fast enough to make it into Cullen territory through the dense forest before the reception ended.

Jacob eventually found his way back to the outskirts of his property through following landmarks. He briefly considered whether he should knock on his own door, even if it's his own house, just because he's been away for so long. After a handful of seconds, he decided to just come in anyways. It was his house.

A voice echoed from the other room upon his entry.

"Who's there?"

The voice was half concerned and half aggressive.

"I told you not to come in without knocking anymore, Sue."

The owner of the voice, Chief Billy Black himself, wheeled in past the doorway from the other room and was immediately blown away.

"Ja-" the voice managed to stutter out.

"Hey."

"Jacob!" Billy wheeled up close to Jacob in a hurry.

"Yeah, how's it going?" Jacob scanned the room for something sharp he could use to cut his hair with. Scissors, maybe.

"How have _you_ been would be the better question."

"You know, the usual."

"That bad, huh?"

Jacob snorted.

"Say, do you have any scissors lyin' around? I gotta cut my hair before heading over to the wedding."

"You're still.. going?"

"I'm not missing my best friend's wedding."

"An invitation to your best friend's wedding is what took you away from us to start with."

"Yeah, well, it was kinda a last second decision," Jacob rushed. He left the room in a speed-walk, continuing his search for scissors.

"Holdup, what's the hurry? I haven't seen you in _weeks_ , my son."

"So I've heard." He was searching all the places the scissors were usually kept.

"Where have you been? What have you been up to? What _was_ that?"

"I dunno, I guess that's just what pained werewolves do or something." He was now searching every place he had ever remembered seeing a pair of scissors in his entire life. On the top the fridge, on the floor, in the cabinet. Even in the sink, when he got desperate.

"I'm somehow not convinced that pained werewolves do that."

"Well, this one did." Jacob's voice was rushed as he spun around, looking for a knife he could use to chop his hair off like a butcher.

"It's unorthodox, Jacob. What prompted you to do something like that?"

"Pain."

"Give me something more than that."

"Big pain."

"Jacob, please?"

"Look, dad, I'm kinda in a hurry here. I promise we can catch up later. Tonight. You have my word," Jacob promised.

Billy thought on it for several seconds. He wanted to know now. His son had vanished for over a month and then some, and hid so well that not even pack brothers climbing inside his head and exploring every crevice of his thoughts like Lewis and Clark could tell him so as much as a province of Canada. Billy wanted answers. His curiosity could be set at bay when Jacob was away, but now Jacob was standing before him. That caused his curiosity to burst.

But Jacob made a promise to tell him later. He was in a hurry. Billy could wait.

"Tonight."

"Thanks, dad." Jacob looked around the room a final time before growling in defeat. "Do you know where the garden shears are, by any chance?"

"I'm not letting you cut your hair with garden shears."

"C'mon, I'll do it in the mirror," Jacob offered. Billy had granted Jacob a lot of stupid things today, benefit of the doubt most of all, so he might as well keep the streak going. Billy sighed, conceding.

"Garden shears are out back."

Jacob quickly thanked him and sped towards the backyard in search of anything that resembled garden shears. He was willing to do it with a sawblade if he so needed to. At last, the garden shears jumped out to him. He snatched them up and took them back into his home. Billy watched him carefully as Jacob searched for the nearest mirror. He knew there was one in the bathroom, but if there happened to be a reflective surface in between the backdoor and the bathroom, he would stop at it. There wasn't one.

Jacob near flinched upon seeing himself in the bathroom mirror. He came close to not recognizing himself at all.

_Here goes nothing._

Jacob positioned the shears and cut off a fair chunk of hair, allowing it to fall in the sink. How he would dispose of the hair wasn't in the forefront of his mind. Before the second snip, Billy had appeared in the doorway, observing Jacob from the hallway. Billy was usually quiet at all times, but in this instance the silence was mind-numbing. Jacob could physically feel Billy's eyes on him, and could tell that Billy wanted to say something. Jacob glanced over after a second snip took out an eighth of the excess hair he had grown over two months.

Billy was watching him from his wheelchair, wordless and expressionless. As if he was about to spout one of his trademark prophecies of slices of Quileute wisdom.

"You look really creepy when you do that, has anyone ever told you?"

Billy's amusement showed on his face.

"You're the first."

"Good to be first."

Another silence fell on the two. A third snip took out more.

"I'm fine, dad. I promise."

"I wish it was that easy to believe at your word."

The rest of the haircut passed in somewhat uncomfortable silence.

"How's it look, dad?"

"Poor, as always," Billy cracked.

"Ha, ha." Jacob smiled.

Jacob floated up the stairs and to his room. Now that the hair was taken care of, he could focus on the other aspects. In the dark, Bella probably would've noticed his hair in close proximity to him first, and the outfit second. Thus, they would need to be taken care of in that order, in case time crunches forced him to cut a few hygiene activities. The room had an abnormal amount of windows, allowing Jacob to see with the natural sunlight and enhanced werewolf vision alone.

He ruffled through his closet, trying to find something to wear that didn't look horrendous; he figured he ought to try to look presentable, if it happened to be the last time he ever saw her. He shakes his head violently before he has the time to tear up at that thought. _I'll see her again,_ Jacob told himself, filling him up with false hope as the rational part of his brain was eager to tear the thought apart with logic and reasoning. _She'd do anything for that bloodsucker. Transform included. She doesn't need you._

Jacob growled and hit the side of his head.

"You have company, Jacob," Billy yelled up the stairs, his voice echoing throughout the house. A small ruckus could be heard downstairs.

 _Yeah, figures._ He assumed it wouldn't be long before people came crawling to his door asking to see him. Though by the sound of it, these visitors were waltzing straight in and noisily searching the bottom floor for any sign of Jacob. The pair started speaking to each other, as if Jacob needed vocal recognition as another hint to who the intruders were.

Quil and Embry.

Although he was happy that Quil and Embry were okay, and still cared about him, and seemed very excited to see him, Jacob had other things on his mind. His head was full enough without needing to factor Quil and Embry into the equation. He had no idea what they would do once they found him, and he didn't want to think about it.

Jacob didn't have that luxury, unfortunately.

Declaring the bottom floor vacant of any Jacob Blacks, the pair took their search upstairs. They would be upon him in no time. Jacob smiled to himself as he could immediately tell which one is zooming up the stairs based on the way they sound. Embry lands on his right foot harder, so Jacob could tell that Embry was closer because he can hear that one more vividly. He could hear them excitedly near-kicking down each door on the floor trying to find which room he's in.

It's Quil who found him first, catching Jacob in the middle of changing, deciding between one button-up and another. Jacob barely has enough time to turn around before Quil attacks him with a hug, the force of his excitement causing Jacob to stumble back a few feet and into a wall.

Upon Quil first laying a hand on Jacob before pulling him into the powerful hug, Jacob felt an instant reaction. The feeling could only be described as an immediate and intense need for more. Quil's contact immediately sent Jacob into jagged breathing and caused his hands to tremble slightly.

Embry stumbled into the room, basketball in hand, and joined in the group hug, keeping _his_ shirt on. Embry hugged Jacob from the back while Quil handled the front.

The sensation Jacob felt wasn't romance, nor love. He questioned if it was even friendship. Animals, but werewolves most of all, need touch to survive. Werewolves needed _connection_ with other werewolves to keep them stable. With the wolves so closely connected mentally, it would only make sense for them to try to connect physically as much as possible without turning things romantic or sexual. Perhaps it was a way the spirits made sure to keep the pack together, by implementing an instinctual craving to physically come in contact with another werewolf. After being separated from the pack for so long, Jacob didn't realize how strong a desire for physical contact with another one of his kind was until Quil threw his hug his way, granted Leah and Seth never touched him since his return and Billy wasn't technically a shifter.

The trio stayed in their group hug until Jacob's breathing stabilized, at which point Jacob broke off.

"I promise we can catch up later, but I gotta get ready for the wedding," Jacob said. "Whaddaya guys think of this outfit? I haven't worn it in so long, I'm not even sure I remember getting it. Hell, it may not even be mine, but it fits me so I'm -"

"Jake, where the hellya _been?!"_

"Yeah, we were scared stiff about you!"

"Why'd you even run off in the first place?"

"It wasn't the same without you here!"

"Guys," Jacob started, in a more serious tone. "I said we could catch up later. I promise. I'd never lie to you guys. I just got something to get ready for in the meantime."

"You look fine," Embry put in, quietly, feeling sufficiently cast aside by their best friend. Quil nodded in agreement, equally sad looking.

"You're the best," Jacob complimented quickly, setting aside the other outfits.

"Promise we can talk later?"

"Promise." Nobody could have denied the sincerity in Jacob's voice.

"Just so you don't forget," Embry said, setting down the basketball in his room. Embry had been carrying the basketball the entire encounter and was desperate for somewhere to put set it down. "Let this basketball remind you that you owe us both an explanation."

"Surely."

With that, Quil and Embry took their leave, fleeing the room and ultimately, the house. Billy didn't close the door behind them, assuming that more visitors were bound to come. If the first guests were going to treat the house like an estate sale, he might as well play it up.

Using the brief minutes of silence to his advantage, Jacob managed to cut his nails and take a forty-five second shower to get the stray flakes of dirt off. Jacob had to keep the water cold just to make sure he didn't get comfortable. Everything he was doing was time sensitive. He didn't have more than forty-five seconds to allow for it.

Jacob briefly struggled on whether he should bother with having nice shoes or not. It was never something he had done before, or at least not anything he remembers. He could probably wear potato sacks on his feet and Bella wouldn't notice, why was he even stressing over it? _Just wear what's comfortable, bimbo._

"You have yet more visitors, Jacob," Billy called up the stairs.

 _Seth and Leah,_ Jacob guessed, brushing it off. He heard that they were close to the end of their patrol, and now that they know he's back, it would probably be their first priority to come visit him. He had already spoken to them through the pack mind, so it wouldn't be _entirely_ awkward to see them again. Besides, Seth would probably be filled with questions on how Jacob was gonna get to the wedding, if Seth should mention anything to Bella, the whole nine yards.

Instead, Jacob bumped into Leah on the way downstairs, with Sam lingering in the doorway.

"Sorry," Leah mumbled, brushing herself and separating herself. Leah promptly did a 180, heading down the stairs a few steps ahead of Jacob.

"Ah, the rumors are true," Sam said. His tone was friendly, but it didn't exactly put anyone at ease. Sam stepped forward slowly to eye Jacob from head to toe, examining him for anything out of the ordinary. After determining that it was the same Jacob he had known a few months prior, Sam wrapped Jacob in the third hug of the evening.

"Don't you ever do that again," Sam pleaded firmly. Jacob expected his words to repeat themselves in his head in a double timbre, but they didn't; the word weren't a command, but instead a heartfelt request. "We were all worried sick about you." Jacob already knew this, though, having shared a mind with cycling pairs of wolves who were worried about him, in a neverending cycle.

As long as there was a risk of vampires in La Push, Sam and the council were quick to denote a "period of patrol", they called them. The pack was currently stuck in a period of patrol, following the newborn battle with Victoria. They weren't quite sure when the council would relieve them of it, but for the time being, 24/7 patrols were necessary by the pack. They hoped it would be over soon. It was kind of fun at first, but now it was just exhausting.

"I'll try not to do anything stupid," Jacob promised, breaking the hug in order to look Sam in the eye while speaking. "Now I really gotta get going if I'm gonna make it to the wedding on time. I have to route through the woods without phasing or running in order to preserve this outfit."

"You look pretty suave," Sam complimented, noticing what he was wearing for the first time. Jacob snorted.

"You did _not_ just call me _suave_."

"Oh, but I _did_ ," Sam teased, smirking. "In any case, I can be your escort. I can take you through the woods to Cullen territory."

"I don't exactly need an _escort_ ," Jacob said. "And you know I don't swing that way, anyway."

" _Transportation,_ moron," Sam laughed. "And maybe you don't need that, either, but you definitely need someone to make sure you won't tear Bella's face off if she says something wrong. This kind of thing has never happened before and I need to make sure it goes smoothly."

"I can control myself, Sam." Jacob retorted, suddenly a tad offended.

"You can say that all you want, but you can get angry at things you don't expect," Sam said. "Take it from me," he added solemnly, remembering what he had done to Emily. As soon as Emily crossed his mind, she refused to leave it. "I'll take you, no problem, but I gotta leave a quick message for Emily."

Jacob nodded in understanding, realizing his Alpha wasn't going to take no for an answer on accompanying him to the wedding. Leah visibly recoiled upon hearing Emily's name, a gesture which neither Jacob nor Sam noticed, though someone else did. Sam's message for Emily was short, sweet, and simple.

_will be back soon going to bella's wedding with jake leaving now bye_

Maybe not perfect as a grammarian, but it got the job done. The message was sent without a correction. He pocketed his Blackberry once he got a send confirmation. Searching the far ends of her mind trying to find a distraction, Leah remembered her original excuse for accompanying Sam in the first place.

"Jared and Paul said hello."

"Well tell them I said hello right back."

"Alright, let's hit the road," Sam said.

"Are you gonna go wearing that?" Jacob asked.

"Might as well," Sam said, shaking it off. "I'll only be out in the woods. I'm not actually attending."

Sam was close to being out the door by the time he remembered who he came to the Black house with. "You can come if you want, Leah."

"I'm good."

"You can come anytime if you change your mind," Sam offered. Leah forced a smile in acknowledgement. With that, Sam and Jacob were gone.

Leah suddenly felt extremely awkward standing in a house that wasn't hers with only her pack brother's father home. She silently cursed herself more for accepting Sam's invitation to come in the first place. She wouldn't have done it if she'd known all that she would get out of it was getting to crash into Jacob on the stairs, getting to see Jacob for 120 seconds, and being left in someone else's house after being mostly forgotten about.

"It still bothers you. Doesn't it?"

"Huh?" Standing in an empty room with him, Leah still somehow didn't expect to be spoken to.

"I noticed your.. repulsion to your cousin's name."

Leah had no comeback to that. He was right, after all. She hoped the gesture wasn't too obvious to begin with.

"All due respect, that's my business, Chief, not yours."

"You're still in love, aren't you?" Billy Black said, sitting back. "I can imagine what it must be like."

"Holy hell," Leah snapped. "Thanks, Chief, I know I can count on you to point out the obvious. And don't pretend you know who I am or what I'm going through, _you're_ one of the reasons everyone treats me like an outsider in this pack. So thanks for that."

Leah left the Black house in a cloud of anger without another word.

『••✎••』

By the time Leah had arrived back at her own house, her anger had long been subsided and replaced with an embarrassed guilt. Never did she think she had it in her to snap at the chief of her tribe the way she did, much less in their own house. Leah was not looking forward to seeing Billy again, though she knew it was inevitable. Leah waited on her lawn, hoping to catch Sue and Seth before they left for the wedding so she could say her goodbyes and tell them to be careful.

Charlie Swan was their escort. Leah would have preferred them to row down the River of Styx with paddles and pool noodles as an alternative to having Charlie Swan drive them.

Seth was already on the porch, waiting for Sue to finish getting ready herself. Seth only noticed Leah when she spoke up.

"Well don't you look adorable."

Seth turned to face her, only to look towards the door again to hide a smile.

"Aw, shut up."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short, squirt." Leah head up the stairs to get a closer look. She rarely ever saw Seth sporting a tie, even if he had no idea how to tie it. Harry attempted to teach him many times, in case he ever ended up with a low paying office job, but Seth never seemed to store the knowledge. He wore a bright tie over a white button-up, three sizes too large, which looked almost comically like a lab coat you'd see on a scientist in a chemistry lab, and not on the best man at someone's wedding.

"Everything is perfect," Leah said. Seth focused intensely on the door, desperately trying to hide his smile and his ever growing blush. "Well.. except for your hair."

"Huh?" Seth finally met her eyes. "I spent like.. twelve seconds brushing it! S'twelve seconds longer than I usually do!"

"I know, and that's the problem." Leah said, grinning. She took it upon herself to shake her hand through his hair to undo the combing, messing it up. Seth tried to stop her hand by bringing his own to it, but it wasn't strong enough to overpower hers. The damage had been done by the time he pushed her hand away. The pair succumbed to laughing over it.

"It was too neat looking and you _know_ it."

"Maybe," Seth said, squirming a little. "Am I supposed to feel like I can't breathe? This is super uncomfortable."

"Weddings are about maximizing discomfort, Seth. If you think it's bad now, just wait an hour and text me then."

"Yeah, okay," he laughed. The door finally opened, revealing a very well dressed Sue, who strode through the door dramatically, before stopping suddenly to pose for a fake camera. She continued onward, walking slowly to accentuate her outfit in irony. She was having the time of her life.

Seizing the opportunity, Seth began to whistle "Hail to the Chief", prompting Sue to laugh and Leah to giggle.

"Oh, quiet, you," Sue said with a wave of her hand. "Charlie will be here in a few. Are you absolutely positively sure you don't wanna come, Leah?"

"Absolutely positively sure. There's nothing in it for me. It'll just make me sad."

Sue couldn't argue with that.

"Well, you're welcome to come at any time before it ends, alright?"

"Alright. If I have a sudden change of heart, I'll quickly throw something on and rush down to Dracula's castle."

As soon as she finished her sentence, a recognizable police cruiser rolled up to the Clearwater house, parking in a part of the lawn where the grass was more beat down than the rest of the lawn: the de-facto driveway.

"By 'he'll be here in a few', were you measuring in seconds?" Leah commented.

"I guess so," Sue said, grinning. Sue head down the steps to meet with Charlie, talking to him through the open passenger window the way two lovers do. Leah wasn't even sure if they were lovers. Sue would never say it, but anyone who wasn't blind could see that there was love between the two, and anyone who _was_ blind could have their guide dogs vouch for them as it was likely obvious to them, too.

Leah grabbed Seth's arm before he could make it down the first step and hugged him.

"Listen - you be careful, alright? Very very careful. Sam will be just outside, and so will Jacob. Maybe a few others, too. If you need help, just scream for them, got it?"

"Roger."

"If any of those leeches get too close to you, you punch them. Punch them hard. Right between the eyes. Got it?"

"Affirmative."

Leah planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Be good, alright?"

"No promises," Seth said, smiling mischievously. Releasing him from her hug, Seth ran across the lawn and hopped into the car of Charlie Swan. Leah prayed for that moment to be the only moment of her entire life where she saw Seth in the back of a police cruiser.

As the car rolled off the grass and down the road, Sue blew a kiss out of the window and Seth flashed a peace sign.

Leah felt a twinge of loneliness flare up the second they were out of view. It was going to be a long and difficult night. She would almost rather kick it with Sam in the woods outside a leech wedding than mull around La Push with nobody around for miles except for the wheelchair-bound man she chewed out fifteen minutes prior.

No matter what, it would probably be a night to remember.


	4. Yours Truly

It was already after sunset.

It evidently took longer than anticipated to get there. Jacob and Sam had spent the better part of two hours making the journey, as per Sam's constant state of being lost. As much as he insisted he knew where he was going, Jacob wasn't fooled, as Sam kept aimlessly leading them in circles and ovals and rectangles and every other geometric shape imaginable. It took Jacob accusing him of purposefully stalling before Sam was finally forced to admit that he didn't really have any idea where he was going. Jacob didn't exactly remember the address on the invitation, so he was about as useful as a glass hammer when it came to directions.

Eventually, the smell of vampire was just noticeable enough to follow the direction of. _Hallelujah_.

"And uh.. uhh.. don't think anything that could get us in trouble, either."

"In what circumstances would that really be a problem?"

"You never know. The mind-reader could be near. Just - don't make us look bad, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Try not to do anything that would upset Bella, too. We need her on our side, at least a little. To have a Quileute sympathizer on the Cullen committee could work wonders."

"Got it," Jacob agreed, internally growling. "Any other ridiculous rules, Sam?"

"Not except for the biggest one," Sam started. "Though you probably already know."

"Don't phase?"

"Don't phase."

"I'll try my best." Jacob promised. "You can intervene if I.. fail to, though."

"Understood," Sam said, patting Jacob's shoulder. "I won't be far."

With that, Sam backtracked into the woods, vanishing. Jacob couldn't even see him after 20 feet. Jacob continued on to the designated wedding zone to get a few yards closer, with the smell of vampire telling him which direction to head in. He wasn't exactly the Christopher Columbus of knowing how to navigate through Cullen territory, even worse an idea than Sam. The wedding was right in front of him now, though, and all he needed to do was take 200 paces forward before he would be considered a trespasser.

"Still behind ya," Sam reminded from afar, reassuringly, staying a number of yards behind Jacob.

_Yeah, I didn't think you were whisked away._

Jacob hid in the foliage just outside the building he assumed they were all in. They couldn't be anywhere else.

_Maybe if I just start loudly thinking the bloodsucker will be tipped off or somethin'... alright, well, here goes nothing, I guess._

Jacob tried to think as loudly as possible, replicating yelling in his head.

_HEY! I'm here, or whatever! It's me, Jacob! Jacob Black! I'm outside, and I'm sure as hell not going in there, so uh.. yeah. Come out and meet me if you want to or whatever, I'll be waiting until the end. Yo! It's Jacob! I'd like to see Bella, if that's at all possible. While I'm at it, don't touch Seth or Sue. I'll break your arms. Alright, I'll see you in like five minutes or so if you don't come out by then, a'ight? Alright. Signing off._

Jacob had only been thinking for fifteen seconds or so, and he knew he was starting to ramble towards the end, but it got the job done, he hoped. Five minutes and he would try again. Five minutes of potential awkward loneliness. Five minutes of potential time for Sam to watch him stand there like an idiot through the trees, wondering why he isn't doing anything, or going inside. Jacob paced in a small circle to keep busy while waiting, pulling a yellow berry off a nearby bush and squeezing it, watching the juice inside drop to the ground. He tried this with a few more berries, watching the liquid inside of them stain the gravel and grass below before throwing the squished berry across the lawn. There was no doubt to Jacob that Sam was questioning his sanity behind his back.

 _They definitely could've smelled me,_ it dawned on Jacob. _I didn't need to yell in my head like a moron._

A minute passed. Then two. Jacob kept count. At the one hundred twenty-seven second mark, he heard voices approaching. One would fill him with anger, and the other would quickly dispel it. Bella and Edward Cullen, the newlyweds. To Jacob, she always was and always would be Bella Swan.

Jacob took a deep breath, hiding behind a tree.

_It's my time, now or never. Here goes nothing._

『••✎••』

It didn't exactly go the way Jacob had hoped.

Jacob violently shook Sam and Seth off, growling loudly. Both immediately tried to get their grip back on Jacob, but he shook them off a second time, turning to face them, as if to fight. Jacob walked backwards cautiously, ready to deflect them both should they try to approach him again. He was _ready_ for a fight. The Jacob-wolf _wanted_ a fight. They were both in a contest to see who could work up the most anger, with Jacob slowly losing to the sheer primal rage of the Jacob-wolf. He was struggling to stay in his human form and any light tap could push him to phase at any moment.

"Calm down, Jake, c'mon, bro. Relax." Seth quietly spoke. Jacob shoved him with both hands as a reply.

"Keep your hands to yourself." Sam said, firmly and almost coldly. "We need to get you back to La Push."

An already on edge Jacob phased to that notion. Sam gave a powerful sigh and an annoyed grumble at the same time. The Jacob-wolf looked like it was itching to crack Seth open like a coconut, and Sam knew he didn't have a lot of time before he gave in to that desire. None of them had any idea where all this intense rage came from. Sam took his shirt off in an attempt to preserve it, before throwing it on a nearby tree. If nothing else, it would still be there if he needed to come back and reclaim it, should the fight mobilize, or should Jacob bolt off. Sam glanced at Seth, expectantly.

"I'll wait a few," Seth said.

"If you insist," Sam replied. He disagreed with Seth's decision, thinking that he could use all the help he can get, and that Seth staying human could make him a hugely vulnerable target, but he had bigger issues in the form of a seething russet werewolf staring him in the face with a look of unstable violence in its eyes. He had no choice but to respect Seth's decision. "I'll give you a signal when it'd be wise to."

"You got it."

Sam clenched and released his fists while slowing his breathing before phasing himself.

He was immediately hit with a wall of unshakable fury that blurred his vision and outlined his entire field of view with red and yellow highlights. Jacob was flooding the pack mind with unstoppable anger that brought out the worst in every wolf sharing the pack mind. The normally calm and reasonable Jared was in a blazing inferno of an argument with Jacob over something. Paul was more than happy to throw his own natural anger into the ring. Sam was forced to take long, uneven breaths to ward off the flood of rage that would put Noah's flood to shame.

Jared, Paul, and Jacob were smoking each other out about something. Their wolves were fighting for dominance over their humans for control.

_What the fuck d'you call that, Jake?_

_That wasn't necessary! You scared her off, dammit!_

_Good going, asshole!_

_It wasn't my fault and you both know that!_

_You're the one who flipped out and needed to be yanked off of her!_

_I wouldn't have hurt her! I wasn't going to! Sam and that stupid kid are just overreacting!_

_You think_ they're _overreacting, wait until you find a damn mirror!_

 _Everybody, please stay calm!_ Sam begged as he trailed Jacob, who had began running around aimlessly. Seth wasn't far behind.

_Jake just blew it!_

_This isn't about that, just -_

_Just what, Sam? They're gonna violate the treaty and we all know it._

_We don't know anything yet. Quiet down._

Deliberately disobeying him, Paul let out a piercing howl, deciding that this was something the entire pack needed to know about. The howl rang throughout the forest, likely reaching La Push in no time.

This notion finally set Sam over the edge, giving in to the anger that flooded freely in the pack mind. The final calm peacekeeping wolf was at last overtaken in rage by one of his pack brothers blatantly ignoring their own Alpha and acting out in disobedience. The notion was too late to take back, but Sam wouldn't let it fly under the radar. The Alpha side of Sam would not tolerate insubordination, much less right in front of his face.

**_Quiet down, Paul._ **

The Alpha command struck Paul like a brick, his thoughts immediately quieting. While his voice remained indistinguishable, the unfiltered anger Paul dumped into the pack mind upon being forcefully silenced represented every last furious thought running through Paul's head, even if he couldn't share them. The damage was already done, though, and Sam couldn't stop it. Nobody could rip the sound waves out of the air and undo Paul's howl. It had reached La Push by now, definitely, and it was likely that wolves would soon follow.

Sure enough, the quick and anxious voice of Embry Call split through the pack mind.

_What's the trouble?_

Nobody had time to answer him before Collin and Brady phased in together, silently listening.

_The 'trouble' is that Jacob was being a goddamn idiot and then Paul was being a goddamn idiot -_

_And now_ you're _being a goddamn idiot, Jared._

 _Huh?_ Embry was horribly confused.

 _What's that mean?_ Brady's innocent question sounded.

 _Quiet, toddler, this is for the big kids_. Paul had finally found his voice.

Before anyone could say anything, two more wolves phased in together.

『••✎••』

La Push did look beautiful from up there. It was undeniable.

It was a popular zone for photographers to get their once-in-a-lifetime shots. Everything about the location was perfect, if not a little secluded. There was a minor push to get a bench built in on the spot, but the mayor shut it down, saying the money wasn't worth it, and it would be a huge liability if someone were to topple over. It posed the grand question of how beautiful something needs to be to make it worth dying for, should it all go wrong at a moment's notice. The spot mainly overlooked the water anyways, and there were much safer places on the reservation to see the same water, but in a safer nature. Places with fences. Places with railings.

Places that weren't considered one of the tallest drop-offs in miles.

Leah sat with her back against a particularly thick tree a number of meters from the cliff side. There was no doubt to Leah that an exceptionally strong gust of wind was all it may have taken for her to meet her fate at the bottom of the cliff. She struggled with herself contemplating whether that was what she wanted. Whether she was on Team Leah or Team Gust of Wind. The fall alone may have killed her, if she fell in the right way, landing on her head and crushing a vital organ or two. It would be no difficult feat to take herself out of the picture at that particular drop-off.

Leah considered all the things that had went wrong about that day. Bella got hitched to their enemy, Jacob came back and forced the pack into a frenzy, and Quil stole her muffin. Granted, Leah didn't _want_ the muffin, but at that point, she was willing to find someone else to blame that wasn't her. Not to mention, she had to walk alongside Sam for 15 minutes, while he pretended their relationship wasn't over, which ended up hurting her more. It's one thing for her boyfriend to leave her for her own flesh and blood, but it's another thing for him to actively pretend that they're still together.

_He even tried to hold my hand._

The gesture tore at Leah more than she wanted it to. It was just a simple attempted hand-holding. His sizzling hand probably would've warmed hers up anyways. Sam was always worried about Leah getting enough connection, seeing as Leah didn't really like touching people, much less her pack brothers she couldn't stand. She refused to believe that werewolf instinct is for closeness with other werewolves. Why did she scratch at his hand when he tried to show her that he still cares? Did she still _want_ him to care? It was clear to everyone that he loved Emily more than he loved himself. Leah had to trudge through that in the pack mind whenever they were phased together. Her first, last, and only patrol with Sam was followed by an almost complete breakdown by Leah, after Leah had to endure a quarter of a day of his near constant thoughts about Emily. Sam was practically on his knees apologizing to her for it, and he reworked the patrol schedule soon after to make sure it never happened again. Leah would never fully forgive him for it.

 _It was only because I wanted us to be together,_ he had said.

There was also the oddness of Jacob's interaction that she had yet to mentally sort through. Him making the seemingly split second decision to travel hundreds of miles back to Washington, not so that he could see his friends, family, and pack, but instead to see the soon-to-be dead girl who played him like a fiddle, on the day she would get married to another man. Jacob had seemed so rushed, too, despite having all the time in the world. It's almost as if his rushing was just a front so that he didn't have to see them. The theory alone made Leah grumble angrily. How neglectful could Jacob possibly be of his pack brothers and sister? He sometimes responded to _Seth_ when he spoke. Why is it that he didn't respond to _Leah_ , or his own best friends, or even his own Alpha? Leah couldn't help but feel cast to the edges, which drove her loony because she didn't even _like_ Jacob that much.

Leah jolted to a noise behind her. The forest was full of noise, but this one stood out. It sounded closer, and it sounded threatening. She assumes it to be one of the patrolling wolves speeding by, could've been Jared or could've been Paul. She forced herself to believe this theory just to relax her shoulders. Her train of thought drove back towards Jacob before the noise broke through again. It sounded like footsteps, too loud to have been a fox or a deer. To Leah, it sounded like..

"Hey, Leah," a familiar voice sounded softly.

_Like an oversized muscly dope she was forced to call a pack brother._

"Get lost, Quil, I'm trying to be alone."

"I can see that," Quil said, giving a small smile. Looking at him, it was clear that he was very timid and nervous as to what she was doing there. "Admiring the view?"

"Stop being so willfully ignorant and childish," Leah snapped. Despite her radiating anger, Quil sat down on the ground 3 yards from Leah, arms crossed with his hands on opposite knees, not having a tree to lean against. He watched her carefully, supplying no reply to her. He let the quiet noises of the forest fill the air to get away with not saying anything. Several seconds had passed before Leah angrily spoke up again.

"Leave me _alone_."

"Not a chance," Quil replied. He had always been particularly stubborn when it came to protecting those he cared about. It was starting to get on Leah's nerves. "Embry got a little jumpy when he couldn't find you at home. He said you're usually always nearby, and you've never really come to this drop-off here, not that I'm aware. It's where Sam and the guys go cliff diving sometimes," Quil reminisced. Leah looked at him in a bored, disinterested expression to convey that she wasn't really entertained by his useless trivia. "If you're not here to admire the view, then what exactly are you doing up here?"

"You don't need a doctorate in psychology to take a wild fuckin' guess, do you?" Leah scoffed.

"I dunno, do I? What're you doing up here?"

"Stop playing dumb, Quil."

"Who's playing dumb?"

" _You're_ playing dumb! You and I both know precisely why people come to tall cliffs, stop pretending you don't. I wanna be alone," Leah boomed. Quil could only sigh.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you up here all alone," Quil said in his most comforting voice possible.

"Quite frankly, I don't care about your comfort, Quil."

"Cold as ice, Leah."

Quil fell silent again. Leah grew very angry that Quil had yet to leave her alone.

"Alright," Leah growled. "It was kinda sweet before but now you're starting to piss me off. _Leave me the hell alone, Ateara._ "

"The only way I'm leaving is if you're right behind me," Quil declared, unwavering. "Or.. in front of me. Beside me? I dunno, as long as you're with me when I leave."

Leah growled, as if to try to scare him away.

"Or at least until I can get solid evidence that you're alright, or not gonna topple over the edge of the cliff," Quil bargained.

"I can make _you_ topple over the edge of the cliff if that's what you'd prefer."

"C'mon, if you come down with me I'll make you some food," Quil pleaded. Leah almost visibly flinched. There was the threat of a suicide looming over Quil's head and he was still offering to lure her off the jump zone with food. Leah was internally amused at how lightly he was treating the situation, finding it charming in a way. _That's so like Quil._

"I don't want your chow. I just wanna be left alone."

"I don't think I really trust you to be alone. You should be with _somebody_ , even if it isn't me."

"All the _somebodies_ I give a flying fuck about are in Vampireland watching Bella flush her life down the toilet."

"Well, you got me," Quil said, offering his company. "And Embry if you get sicka me. And uh.. Collin and Brady?"

Leah laughed audibly, causing the echo off the trees to laugh right back at her.

"Yeah, okay. Got it." Leah's voice was heavily sarcastic.

"Leah, wouldya please? I'm trying to help you," Quil said.

"I don't want your _help_. I don't need your _comfort_. And the reason I'm up here to begin with is sure as hell _not your business._ "

"Whether or not it's my _business_ , it's my job as your pack brother to protect my fellow werewolf family," Quil started, quietly yet firmly. "That includes you, Leah."

"I don't need your protection, Quil."

"I think you're wrong."

At that point, Leah realized she was fighting a losing battle. She wasn't changing her stance, but it was clear that the teenage werewolf sitting before her wasn't going to, either. Arguing about it further would prove to be a waste of her time, and she decided to just stop listening. Whether or not Quil was speaking to her, Leah couldn't tell. What she could tell was that her thoughts were loud enough to block his voice out entirely even if he was. She turned her gaze back to the view that lay just over the cliff side, noticing that it was in fact beautiful, just like Quil had said.

Then she suddenly thought of something he had said earlier. That the very spot she was sitting at was sometimes used as a cliff diving location by Sam and the guys. She wondered if Sam had once sat at the same spot she was right then. If he had ever actually gone off the cliff and survived, at the same place Leah had intended to go over the cliff and die. She wondered if the yellow apple core she had been eyeing across the way had been eaten by Sam himself, or by other pack member. _Why does every last thing remind me of Sam?_ Leah chastised herself internally. _It could've been eaten by anyone. It's just a damn apple! Hell, it was probably Embry. He goes nuts for apples_.

It was then Leah remembered something Quil had told her just before telling her about the history between the cliff and Sam.

_"Embry got a little jumpy when he couldn't find you at home."_

Quil had said that. She was confident. There was no way she was making it up. She remembered him scratching his hand when he said it to prove it.

_Why the fuck was Embry looking for me at my own house?_

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a high pitched whistle.

"You with me, Leah?"

"Nope," Leah said, voice chalk-full of snark. "I wasn't really paying attention to you." Quil looked a little upset by this, more upset than Leah predicted. She almost felt bad by looking at him. Any chance of gaining her sympathy was immediately burned when he mumbled something. Leah couldn't make out most of the words, but the one word she did make out sent her into a hurricane of fury.

"... ma... el.. unappreciated."

Leah stood up immediately.

"Unappreciated? _Unappreciated?"_ Leah stormed the three yards over to Quil. He didn't stand up, allowing Leah to tower over him. "YES! Yes, dammit, you _are_ unappreciated! I've been telling you that for like 10 fucking minutes now! I didn't want you here in the _first place!"_ Leah was shouting at the top of her lungs. Her voice carried throughout the forest and she wouldn't be surprised if even Jared and Paul heard it as a light whisper. "You didn't take my hints, you didn't shut up, and you didn't leave when I specifically told you to! I gave you the benefit of the doubt and everything!" Leah rose her hand to his face and pointed at him accusingly. "If you insist on staying and being the biggest nuisance on this side of the equator, then go ahead, but don't you _dare_ complain about feeling unappreciated. It is _not_ my fault for not appreciating you and it's _not_ my fault if you upset yourself."

Quil fell silent immediately. It was clear to Leah that he wasn't planning on saying anything, especially not after an outburst like that. Frustrated, she head back over to her tree and sat down again it, aggravated. Leah always had a way of surprising herself with surprise anger. She didn't think she had it in her to give Quil a piece of her mind. It was still Quil's fault though, in Leah's idea. He wouldn't leave her alone. It wasn't _her_ fault that he got worked up over nothing. _Leah_ couldn't be blamed if Quil felt unappreciated. That was his own fault. It's a product of his too-high expectations.

Noticing Quil's silence, Leah glanced up after a while. He had turned his head away from her, and out over the drop-off and towards the water. At first glance, it was obvious that he was admiring the view. Upon a closer look, one would notice that he was only _pretending_ to admire the view. In actuality, Quil was visibly trying to hide himself wiping a tear away from his eyes before it had the chance to roll down his face to a more noticeable area. He gave a small sad sniffle, closing his eyes entirely.

Leah felt a strange, unfamiliar feeling of discomfort. It made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable to see Quil sad, much less to see him cry. It was such an alien sight to her to see the normally happy Quil Ateara V show any signs of sadness, and yet, here he was, desperately trying to stop himself from crying. Worse yet, it was all Leah's fault. Leah couldn't stop watching him, but the more she looked, the worse she felt.

_I did this to him._

Leah grumbled.

_As if I need more evidence that I'm a garbage person._

Leah absentmindedly glanced over the cliff to avoid thinking about her pack brother. It was the first time she seemed to truly notice how deep the fall was. Leah sighed. _I'm not gonna jump,_ Leah finally thought. _I never was. I just wanted to be alone._

A painfully awkward silence fell on the two. The only noise came from the wind of the forest and Quil's agitated fidgeting. Must have been a nervous habit. Leah saw him blink away more water in his eyes and decided she couldn't handle seeing any more.

"Look, Quil, I -"

"Don't, Leah." Quil's voice shook only slightly. He still didn't meet her eyes. "You're right. I should've respected your privacy."

Leah wanted to say something more, but sensing an apology, Quil spoke before she could get it out, cutting her off.

"The offer of food is always on the table," Quil added, quietly. Leah nodded in a hopeless attempt to make him feel better, with no intention to take it. She could only hope that Quil kept this interaction from the pack mind, because Sam would have thrown her off the cliff himself if he caught wind of her yelling at Quil until he cried. Leah couldn't leave without giving Quil a proper apology. Even if it was a bad apology, it would be sincere. _Quil deserves that much._

"Quil, listen. I'm -"

Leah's attempted apology was cut off by a howl in the distance. Quil finally broke his gaze with the water to meet Leah's eyes, confirming that neither one was imagining it. The glassy look in his eyes near crushed Leah on the spot, but she had to deal with whatever the howl was first. _It could mean Sue or Seth got hurt at the wedding. Or Jacob._

Salvaging as much clothes as possible by the drop-off, the two phased and ran in the vague direction they remembered the howl being in.

『••✎••』

_What's happening?_

_Shut up! This isn't about you!_

_Paul, you idiot! Why'd you have to go and howl?_

_What's the danger? What's going on?_ A desperate voice pleaded for answers. Embry, maybe. Quil, maybe. Nobody could really tell. The arguing was much too loud.

_There's no danger other than us being trapped inside the head of a mentally ill buffoon named Paul Lahote._

_Jacob._ Sam scolded. Sam's voice was distinguishable enough. Jacob quieted, but it was clear he didn't regret saying it. Forcing him to apologize would've been empty.

_Damn straight._

_Oh, uh, hi Jacob! Good to have you, uh.. back._ Collin broke through, nervously, at last informed of Jacob's return. Brady remained silent.

_Will somebody please tell me what's going on for the luvva God?_

_Jacob had an outburst._ That's all Sam was confident about, so that's all he could convey.

 _Outburst!_ Jacob scoffed, as if the words burned his tongue. _I'm not having an outburst!_

The pack couldn't help but dryly laugh at the way his words contradicted his tone.

 _We have outbursts all the time. Why is this particular outburst howl-worthy?_ Leah spoke up for the first time.

 _I'M_ NOT _HAVING AN OUTBURST!_

**_Easy,_ ** **_Jacob._ **

Jacob growled loudly. The order had a minuscule effect against the unrestrained fury of an angry werewolf. Quil gave a little whine in fear.

_Grow up, Quil, Jesus._

_What's goin' on, guys?_ Seth had finally joined the pack mind after a signal from Sam, who had been too distracted by the quarrel to remember that he was waiting on a signal.

_Great, just what we need is another kid in the mind. This place is crowded enough as is._

_Look, is there an emergency or not?_ Embry spoke.

 _The jury is still out on that one._ Sam said, annoyed that his pack couldn't agree on the situation.

_Then why the hell are we all here, Paul? There's no danger._

_This was an emergency when I howled!_

_There is no emergency, dammit!_ Jacob vehemently disagreed. Against all odds, the already blurred vision got even blurrier as Jacob pushed the limits of how much anger the pack mind could handle.

_Yes, there is! You're unstable!_

_Fuck you guys!_

_Look, can you at least tell us where you are so that we can come to you?_

_No, stay put._ Jacob yelled. Collin and Brady had been running around like headless chickens with no idea where to go, so they continued making laps around a group of trees.

 _Can you at least tell us what's going on?_ Seth voiced, despite already knowing, having been a witness.

 _Quiet, kid._ Jacob shouted, silencing Seth immediately. Jacob replayed his conversation with Bella for the entire pack to see. The last few parts were what troubled the pack the most. The implication that Bella was planning on getting pregnant within the next few weeks, maybe as soon as tomorrow night, depending on how soon they would arrive at their honeymoon location. The pack looked on in shocked suspense as Bella insisted so prominently that what she was doing was her own choice and that she would be fine. The pack knew wiser, though. She would die trying to deliver a hybrid. And if not, she would be bitten and end up dead anyways, to their own definition. Collin and Brady especially were panicked. Nobody had ever encountered a vampire baby before.

_What's gonna happen to us?_

_Bella wants to get knocked up?_

_She's gonna die!_

_Is that even possible?_

_Gross._

_Bella's a goner._

_We should take this to the council,_ Jared thought. _This isn't something we know how to deal with._

 _That's retarded, Jared._ Paul thought back, being a nay-sayer as always. _This is something we need to consider treason, end of. We should turn the hell around and attack that wedding right here and now._

 _I'm not sure that's a good idea. There are a lot of humans in there._ Seth argued.

 _Yeah, all 4 of them,_ Paul snorted.

_A human's a human, Paul._

_Yeah, and you're just a dumb and naive kid, Seth._ That comment of his prompted offense from Seth, Collin, and Brady, constantly being sidelined because of their age.

 _Back offa him,_ Leah warned.

 _You're all missing the point!_ Jacob broke through, loud, angry, and panicked. _Bella's gonna die if she goes through with this._

Jacob's shouting only escalated the chaos and arguing more. The pack mind had grown so loud that nobody could hear anything over anyone else. Finally, Sam had enough.

**_Everyone shut up!_ **

The sheer force of the Alpha command knocked Quil clean off his paws. He scrambled to get up, deathly silent with the rest of the pack. There came a brief silence in the same mental arena that had been a fiery battle just seconds before. Only Sam had permission to speak, and he intended to forfeit that privilege to fill the mind with silence where each wolf could collect their temper and catch their breath. The silence was all but brief before Sam's voice sounded through again.

 _You_ know _I don't like ordering you guys around. Please stop giving me reasons to._ It was true, the pack could see clear as diamond. Sam didn't like having to push his authority. Involuntarily, Sam mentally cycled through a few particularly harsh Alpha commands.

The first of which involved Quil, who had tripped over a dense tree root while on patrol with Sam. He couldn't see it in the dark of night, and his sudden trip and fall startled Sam enough to break his focus on the task at hand. Angered, Sam served him an Alpha command to "stop being so incompetent". Needless to say, Quil patrolled the rest of his shift like an Olympic all-star, but the order took a toll on his self confidence. Quil grimaced to the memory. Sam felt guilty.

The second memory was with Embry, who was hanging around in the woods, trying to escape his overbearing mother for a while. He wasn't up to much, except for drinking some sort of carbonated beverage and occasionally walking the length of a broken log while balancing on top of it. After a few minutes, along came Sam, heading through the woods and almost crossing his path. He didn't go unnoticed. Embry noticed how he looked rather upset, as if he was shaken or torn up over something. Before Embry could offer his comfort or a connection, Sam swiftly ordered him to "get lost". He didn't mean for it to come out as an Alpha order, but the damage had been done before he could feel bad about it. Embry twitched uncomfortably. Sam felt even _more_ guilty.

The last recollection was about Seth, so close to Sam he could've passed for his little brother. It was an especially heated pack argument, and everyone was shoving their opinions into the ring. A clear clique was in agreement, and another clique was not. Sam and Seth happened to be on opposite cliques, and in the middle of the argument, Seth spoke up for the first time. Already in an angry mindset, Sam towered over Seth and ordered him to "shut up". Seth fell quiet immediately, though was clearly upset by it. Sam didn't care in the moment, the argument was more important. Sam cared way more afterwards, but only after it was too late to hope for Seth's forgiveness. Seth's ears burned up to the memory. The guilt dog-piled on top of Sam and near suffocated him.

The entire slideshow of bad memories couldn't have lasted more than 3 and a half seconds, but it was enough for Sam to feel like quite the ass afterwards.

 _I'm sorry you had to see that._ Sam's voice came through soft, quiet, and sincere. A chorus of 8 different wolves thought _it's okay_ at him, in varying ways, the gag order having faded with time and Sam's display of an unconscious desire to hear their voices again. Seth was rendered speechless by the mere force of Sam's memory. Upon noticing, Sam released him from it with a second apology. Having his voice again, Seth still didn't use it to think an _it's okay_ towards his Alpha. Instead, he remained silent. His silence tore at Sam more than he would've liked.

 _Let's talk about this in a calmer, less chaotic way. As humans. Later._ Sam advised. _Maybe we'll hold a bonfire later in the week for us all to talk about the issues brought up, tomorrow or the day after._ Nobody seemed opposed to the idea, but nobody voiced support for it, either. It's almost as if they'd prefer to duke it out here and now.

The vision of the wolves collectively cleared as Jacob's anger faded slightly, though it was clear that he was still massively on edge and could be set off by anything.

_Alright, good talk. We'll discuss it later, then._

_All due respect, O great Alpha, this is something we need to discuss now. Immediately._ Jacob's voice was calmer, but not by much.

 _Yeah_ , Paul's simple one word approval agreed.

Sam could feel the anticipation in his pack members rising and their nerves flaring up. He couldn't risk a repeat of before. He needed to keep his pack calm and clear-headed.

_No. We aren't talking about this any further tonight._

_But -_

_That's final, Jacob. No more of this tonight._

By this time, the pack had organized into groups after having found each other through aimlessly running around the forest. Paul and Jared had found Collin and Brady, and were waiting by them. Leah and Quil found Jacob, with Sam and Seth close behind. Embry was all alone, still. Quil took advantage of his company with Jacob during the silence that followed Sam's decree, pushing his head into Jacob's side anxiously. His big head prodded Jacob's side every few seconds, accompanied by his whining for attention. He didn't voice a real thought, but everyone in the pack could tell that Quil was very worried about him.

 _Try not to take this the wrong way, Quil, but I'm_ really _not in the mood to see you right now._ Jacob's voice was still stressed and strained, with a touch of fiery rage.

 _Leah_ , Sam started. _Could you take Jacob home to make sure he's alright? Ensure he doesn't act out?_

 _Act out, pah!_ Jacob's anger was reignited so quickly that Quil stumbled back to avoid getting hit by Jacob's paw when he took a swing in Sam's direction, despite around 20 feet separating the two. _I don't need a damn babysitter, Sam. I'm not acting out._

_Please, I don't want an argument, Jake._

_Well maybe_ I _do._

 _Look, in the kindest way possible, I don't care._ His voice wasn't aggressive, but instead tired. Worn out by his pack's antics and he just wanted to go home to his imprint. _Would you be able to handle him, Leah?_

 _I'd rather go home to my mother and Seth._ Leah responded.

 _And I'll be just fine with my father._ Jacob snapped back.

 _I'll send Quil and Embry over to make sure they're safe for you, Leah,_ Sam offered, ignoring Jacob.

 _A-alright,_ Quil agreed, his voice shaking slightly.

 _Cool beans._ Embry agreed, secretly thankful to have something to do other than fail at interacting with his mother at home. Leah tried to protest, but was cut off before she could.

 _I trust them, Leah. We'll be fine._ Seth promised.

 _Mom probably doesn't even know where you_ are _, Seth. You left the wedding unannounced, right?_

 _Quil and Embry will explain it, and so will I. We'll be okay._ Seth was a hard enough person to turn down, but his pleading forced Leah into agreement. She couldn't say no to him.

 _I'm going home to rest for a bit, and I'll take over patrol at midnight._ Sam decided.

 _Patrol is still on?_ Jared sounded surprised. _After everything tonight? The big fiasco? It's still on?_

_Sure is. This is business as usual, as far as I'm concerned._

_If I may.._ Collin's voice shook a little, evidently anxious to have the floor. _Brady and I can take over Jared and Paul for a while, or afterwards for the midnight shift thingy._

_That's very kind of you, Collin, but I assure you I'll be okay. Besides, your mothers aren't in on all this werewolf stuff, so they'll be terrified should you both come back after midnight._

_Alright._ Collin backed off the offer, with Brady not saying a word. Jacob's heavy, noisy, strangled breathing creates a tense atmosphere for the pack mind.

 _I'm not being ferried home like a child, Sam._ Jacob insisted.

 _Can't you work things out for just one night?_ Sam retorted with a sigh. Jacob was silent. _Please, Jake?_ Sam begged. Jacob was quiet again, before a loud growl rose in frustration.

_Never again will I be so tolerant of your bullshit ideas, Sam._

_Looking forward to it._ Sam's voice sounded strained and completely exhausted. Jacob's growling quieted slightly and he finally gave his eyes a rest, sitting upright to take uneven breaths. Quil watched him protectively from his spot a few feet away. Leah and Seth alternated between eyeing each other and eyeing Jacob, which soon became a small game for them. Jared and Paul chased Collin and Brady around the group of trees competitively.

 _Alright. Does everyone know what to do?_ Sam asked.

 _Yes,_ much of the pack sounded.

 _Yes. No. Maybe. Possibly?_ Jared sounded. _Can you give a reminder, though, please? That'd be nice._

 _Alright,_ Sam thought, preparing to jump into the list. _Leah and Jacob go back to Jacob's house and make sure he's okay._

 _Yup._ Leah voiced, less than thrilled. Jacob was too angry to acknowledge him at all.

_Quil and Embry take Seth to the Clearwater home to make sure him and Sue are okay._

_Yeah._ Quil and Embry called together.

 _Mhm._ Seth agreed.

_Jared and Paul are to continue patrol until I take over at midnight._

_You got it,_ Jared voiced.

 _Okay._ Paul thought, a little bitter by his treatment by Sam especially during the argument.

_Collin and Brady go home to their mothers._

_Sounds good,_ Collin sounded. Brady was silent out of anxiety.

_And I go back home to take over patrol at midnight. Embry, could you be my partner?_

_Midnight patrol isn't really my thing, Sam._

_Well_ can _it be your thing for tonight?_

Embry thought on it. Midnight patrol, awful as it may have been, was worth it for just one shift if it meant keeping their Alpha happy.

_Count me in._

_Alright, that's everyone._

_We still haven't come to a conclusion about what to do with Bella,_ Paul argued. He clearly wasn't as concerned over keeping their Alpha happy. _Baby or no baby, that treaty of ours is in some serious danger._

_The problem can wait a few days, Paul._

_Can it, though?_

_We'll talk about it at the bonfire. We'll survive, trust me._

_She could transform at any moment, I'm telling you._

_Give it time, Lahote._ Sam angrily pleaded, desperateness creeping into his voice again. Although still angry, Paul quieted. _Alright, everybody's green to go. Move out!_

Collin and Brady were the first to phase, not having gone far from La Push. Jared and Paul had finally left them alone by the group of trees, allowing them to change back in relative peace. Quil and Seth jogged away from the group they were with, and after about 5 seconds of full-speed running, Quil phased back. Embry was soon to follow, receding from the pack mind almost at the same time as Quil.

 _We're gonna be fine, Leah,_ Seth soothed, sensing her doubt. _Everything's gonna work out the way it's supposed to._ With that, Seth phased back too.

A few seconds passed with just the five of them. Sam, Leah, Jacob, Jared and Paul refused to think a thought, though Sam and Leah could see that Jacob wasn't exactly rushing himself. Leah took off without him, figuring it may be helpful to beat him to the house if he wasn't gonna do anything. The five put some hefty distance between themselves, with none of them being visible to the other. Their scents weren't quite traceable or easy to follow. Just as Leah was making an attempt to track Jacob's scent, a growl from him cut through the pack mind.

_Why haven't you phased yet, Sam?_

_I figured this would happen,_ Sam thought, sighing. _I'm only making sure you actually phase and don't spend the next two hours slicing up trees and shrubbery across the reservation._

_You know me too well._

A few more seconds of silence passed. Jared and Paul felt extraordinarily awkward as fourth and fifth wheels.

_I don't want to have to command you, Jacob._

_I'm sure somewhere in that pile of wolf you do._ Jacob laughed.

_Don't push me, Jake. And stop making things so difficult while you're at it._

_Listen, Uley, you have no idea what I'm going through._

_Somehow I disagree, Jacob. We share a mind, remember?_

_Yo,_ Leah called, her backyard coming into view. _I'm home. I'm ready to change and phase back to head over to the Black house if you need me to?_ She phrased it as a question, unsure on whether or not the arrangement was still in effect following their argument.

_I don't know, is it, Leah? This is practically up to you at this point._

_I don't want to do this any more than you do, Jacob. Believe me, of all the people I could be forced to babysit, Jacob Black ranks dead last on that list._

_Aw, how sweet._

_Would you just do it, Jacob?_ Sam pleaded for the umpteenth time that night. _This is for your own benefit._

_I don't need a caretaker._

_She's not a caretaker. She's a friend. A pack sister._

Jacob gave a loud, exaggerated laugh.

 _Please don't start with me, Jake._ Sam begged, his voice almost breaking over how tired he was of his pack's antics. He almost sounded desperate.

_Just stop being a baby, Jacob, and let me stay the night?_

The millionth growl of the last hour escaped Jacob's mouth, with it almost echoing throughout the pack mind.

 _I'll be there soon,_ Jacob finally conceded.

 _Thank you, Jacob._ Sam's voice had never sounded more relieved. Jacob phased right after. _Stay safe, alright, Leah?_

_Mhm._

_Say hi to Billy for me, while you're at it._

_Yeah._

_And invite him to our upcoming bonfire, if you can._

_Okay._

_We'll discuss matters of what Bella implied, don't worry._

_Got it._

Her one word answers let everyone know she had no interest in interacting much with him. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism. It didn't fall on deaf ears to Sam, but he was so drained of energy of any kind that he couldn't fight her on it. He had to let it go, at least for now.

_Sorry for making you feel awkward, Jared. You too, Paul._

_Thanks,_ they both called out, shifting uncomfortably by being pointed out at all. Sam phased right after, leaving the three alone in the pack mind for the second time that day.

 _Heh, it's like the sequel or something_ , Jared commented after hearing Leah make the connection.

 _Adios, amigos._ Leah thought before finally phasing back into her human form.

『••✎••』

Leah beat Sue, Seth, Quil, and Embry back to her house. She had the advantage of running back in her wolf form while the rest of them were confined to two legs, after all. Based on the delays, she assumed she would have just enough time to change back into her normal clothes in relative peace and quiet before any of them arrive. It was a luxury the pack didn't get all too often. Once a week, maybe, and that's on a good week, too. Most of the time, the pack had to change outside, and even if they knew there was nobody around for miles, it still feels like the whole world is watching. To make matters worse, the breezes and winds would make the temperature feel lower than it was. Leah was able to change comfortably before she was cruelly reminded of where she was assigned to be.

Watching over Jacob at the Black house as if she was his babysitter. To add salt to the wound, he would be in an utterly terrible mood.

She had to hand it to Sam for keeping his temper throughout the entire argument. He hadn't Alpha commanded anyone to go along with what they were assigned to do, which was something a lesser Alpha would've done near instantly. He talked through it with Jacob, and even if they didn't agree, he waited until Jacob went along with it, exhausting himself in the process. He didn't want to take Jacob's choice away. Leah had to hand it to Sam. He was a pretty good Alpha. This, unfortunately, clashed with her desire for it to be literally anyone but her ex-boyfriend who was stolen by her cousin. Leah would rather be anywhere else, maybe even at Bella's wedding, than go to Jacob's house to watch him sulk and probably throw a few things. But she had a responsibility, and she wasn't gonna let her pack down.

That didn't stop her from feeling drastically unmotivated, though. Leah slithered down the stairs very slowly, dragging her feet with each step. Before she got to the door, she could hear quiet voices chatting from just outside it. Curious, she opened the door to find Quil and Embry standing outside it on her porch.

"Why're you two standing on my porch like a bunch of dopes?"

"I uh.. I was too scared to go inside without your permission," Quil nervously admit. Leah could tell that he was anxious just being in her presence, which she blamed herself for. _I really blew it by yelling at him._ She realized then that Quil managed to keep his thoughts clear for the entire argument, not leaking their interaction once. _He'd strain himself concealing his thoughts for you and you yell at him until he cries._ Leah winced, but tried to hide it from her guests.

"Can we use your landline?" Embry asked. "We wanna call Sue to let her know that you and Seth are alright and that Seth'll be at home."

"Sure thing," Leah granted, exiting her house and started off towards Jacob's.

"Good luck with the menace," Embry warned, smirking.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it," Leah commented to herself. "Don't destroy the place."

"Yeah, _Embry,_ " Quil quipped.

Quil and Embry advanced into her house as Leah took to the street and bound off towards Jacob's home. She hoped to see Seth for at least a second or two, but it seems he was running behind and she wasn't gonna wait for him. As much as she wanted to see Seth for even a moment, the pain that would've been caused by seeing Quil avoid her awkwardly wasn't worth it to her. She would see Seth later. _Tomorrow_ , she promised herself. Tomorrow sounded a lot further than she hoped it would.

The Black house was upon her in no time. She approached it cautiously, knowing full well that Jacob wouldn't welcome her with open arms.

_Here goes nothing._

She carefully walked towards the property, very slow with her movements. If nothing else, it would be a disadvantage for him to hear her coming, which was useless because his werewolf senses probably alerted him of her approach from three streets back. She wondered if he was even home yet. She knew for a fact that Billy probably wasn't, seeing as he was at the wedding, and it may not have even formally ended yet. As she approached, she heard noises coming from inside the house, followed by the occasional grunt and groan.

_Yep. Definitely home._

None of the lights were on. She could tell that much. Leah head up the steps and opened the door without knocking. He was half-expecting her company anyways, it shouldn't surprise him too much if nobody knocked. As soon as she took one step inside, she heard Jacob's voice yell out to her from the other room.

"Fuck off!"

"What if I was your father coming home?"

"He can fuck off, too."

"Hrmpf," was Leah's only reply. Jacob soon appeared in the doorway, sporting only shorts. He looks at her judgmentally with eyes so acidic that they would've burned straight through the toughest metal.

"Look, I don't wanna be here either. I just -"

"If that's the case, then you should just leave, Leah," Jacob said, not quite yelling but not quietly either. "Sam isn't monitoring us anymore." Jacob had begun walking in angry circles around the front room. Leah was very tempted to turn around and leave after he said that, seeing as Jacob was right. Sam _wasn't_ monitoring them anymore. Why should she bother staying? Jacob's fist colliding with the wall provided her an answer. Jacob was clearly in distress. Something Quil had told her only 25 minutes before rang in her head.

 _"It's my job as your pack brother to protect my fellow werewolf family,"_ he had said. It was Leah's job to protect Jacob from whatever was ailing him, even if she didn't want to. She didn't have to like her job, but she had to do it. She'd promised Sam, anyways.

"Wouldya just shut up and sit down, Jacob? Stop pacing around your living room and growling like a hungry chupacabra," Leah mediated. Jacob ignored her, banging his fist on the wall of his house so hard Leah was surprised that no flakes of drywall crumbled from the ceiling. His fist didn't even draw blood, but it did make a dent in the wall.

"She's making a huge mistake," Jacob droned to himself quietly. "Stupid bloodsucking worthless piece of garbage." Jacob stomped on the ground. "Why'd she have to go and do that, Jesus.. so much better for her than that stupid irresponsible leech if he's gonna let her get herself killed like that. So much better.." Jacob was evidently rambling to himself, seemingly forgetting that Leah was in the room at all. His voice was too quiet for humans to pick up, but Leah heard every word just fine.

"You're probably right," Leah quietly agreed, not wanting to risk adding fuel to the fire. She knew as well as anyone else that Jacob was a dry tree in the desert doused in oil and gasoline. Anything could ignite a giant fire that couldn't be tamed.

"Gonna get herself killed trying to deliver the hellspawn of Satan, why's she gotta do that.. it's like she just doesn't care at all.." Jacob mumbled to himself more, blind to Leah's interjection.

"Try thinking about something else," Leah shrugged. Jacob spun around angrily.

"There _is_ nothing else!"

Just as Jacob yelled it, his face dropped a little as he looked just past Leah. Slightly worried, she turned around quickly to see Billy wheel in through the front door she forgot to close. He smiled, even though he was certainly aware he was probably intruding on an argument.

"Thought I might find you here."

Jacob grumbled a greeting, collapsing on the floor in front of the couch, leaning up against it.

"You know, if you were standing just two feet backward, you'd be on the couch right now and not on the hardwood floor," Billy pointed out.

"Well aware, dad."

"Just checking."

A silence fell over the room. Leah felt too awkward and ashamed to say anything, remembering how she left Billy the last time she saw him mere hours before: in a fit of rage. To Leah's chagrin, Billy addressed her.

"What a pleasant surprise to have you back so soon," Billy greeted, smiling in a way that made Leah think he hadn't remembered the interaction at all.

 _'Pleasant' my ass_ , Leah huffed in thought, pacing to the other side of the room to avoid his direct company. Unfortunately for her, he spoke on.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company to?" Billy continued. Leah opened her mouth to speak, but Jacob answered before she had the opportunity.

"Sam sent his babysitter over to make sure I'm 'okay', as if I need to be watched over like an unstable maniac," Jacob explained bitterly.

"Noble a cause as any," Billy allowed. "It shows that Sam cares about your safety, no?"

"If he _really_ cared, he would've done it himself instead of guilting Leah into coming."

"I wasn't _guilted_ ," Leah retorted defensively. "It was my own decision."

"You and I both know it was only a matter of time before Sam broke out the Alpha commands," Jacob retorted.

"I don't believe that," Leah argued.

"Lower your voices, please," Billy pleaded. The two hadn't realized how loud they were speaking.

"I don't have to lower my voice if I'm angry. I'm not a kid anymore, dad," Jacob growled.

"Neither is my brother, but that doesn't stop you from calling him one anyways," Leah growled back. Jacob stood immediately and squared her off.

"No fighting in the house," Billy said.

"Would you care to take this outside, dearest friend?" Jacob said with a sarcastic smile.

"Grow up." Leah's voice was coated with spice and salt.

"Jacob," Billy said, springing an idea. "You promised me earlier today that we could catch up when you were home from the wedding. When we both had time. We both have time now, correct?"

"Oh, I'm sure you're just dying to hear all about how I ran around the woods in Canada for two months," Jacob said, annoyed at his father's attempt to calm the room.

"You'd be surprised," Billy offered. Jacob only sighed and sat back down on the ground before the couch.

"We can. During breakfast tomorrow," Jacob bargained. "Alright?"

"Alright." With that, Billy wheeled into the other room, leaving Jacob alone with Leah. She finally settled on the ground across the room from Jacob, with the only light in the room coming from what little moonlight shined through the few windows. She almost wished he would wheel back in, not wanting to be left alone with his terminally enraged son. As if on cue, Jacob banged his fist on the floor, albeit with a little less force he applied to the wall earlier. It was clear he was still upset about what Bella had said.

"God, Bella, why do you gotta be so dumb.." he mumbled. Jacob the drone was back in action, it appeared. "Why do you gotta do this to me.. to everyone.. this is effectively suicide, Bells.. throwing your whole life away.."

"Can you please talk about literally anything else?" Leah requested. She was sick of hearing all about Bella Cullen and the everlasting scroll of dumb things she's done and idiotic mistakes she's made in the face of love. "I really don't care to listen to more of you ranting to yourself about Bella for hours on end."

"What would you _rather_ me talk about?" Jacob asked satirically. Almost patronizingly in a way. Leah couldn't supply him with an answer, prompting him to quietly chuckle condescendingly. "That's what I thought."

"You're unbelievable," Leah growled. The nerve Jacob had was unfathomable at times. Instead of ranting about Bella, though, Jacob stopped ranting altogether. A few minutes' silence fell over the two, which Leah vastly preferred to hearing about Bella. Even the white noise of the silent room was preferable. The very light rustling noises of the not-quite-still air and Jacob's somewhat heavy breathing were the only noises that filled the room. It seemed even Billy was motionless, wherever he was. Over the few minutes' silence, Leah noticed Jacob's breathing gradually grow less and less strangled and unsteady.

"Holding up?"

"Mhm," Jacob answered without opening his mouth. _Works for me._ They were silent for about 30 more seconds until Jacob broke it. "Hey, Leah?"

"Yeah?"

"What did it feel like when Sam broke up with you?"

"Don't you dare try to compare those two things," Leah warned, her voice rising in case she needed to verbally defend herself.

"I'm not trying to compare," Jacob responded defensively. "I'm only tryin' to understand how you felt, and see if what I'm feeling is similar."

"That's the same thing as comparing."

"Willya do it or not?"

"I felt upset and hopeless and dark and dreary and like nothing would be okay again," Leah offered, bitterly. "I still feel that way to this day. I'm wasting my breath anyways, you're more than capable of digging through the pack mind, as much as I try to hide it."

Jacob had no response to that. Instead, he let yet another silence fall over the room. The silence was uncomfortable, and Leah would've almost preferred bitter fighting to the silence that filled the room in that moment. Both wanted to say something, but at the same time they didn't want to be the first to say it. Without a reply to go off of, they kept it to themselves. It was around this time that Leah noticed that Billy never did come back. _Maybe he fell asleep or somethin'._ She figured, before going on a mental tangent. _How does he sleep in that wheelchair? Is it uncomfortable, or does Jacob usually help him into a bed or something?_

"Sorry for being loud and pushy," Jacob spoke up. The apology was quiet, but it sounded sincere.

"Apology accepted."

Leah smiled to herself as she noticed that Jacob's breathing had stabilized and that it was quiet enough to ignore. _The beast had finally calmed down._ Leah took unusual joy in hearing her pack brother breathe in such a calm way after spending the better part of 2 hours sitting through his untamed rage and lashing out. Better yet, he had even apologized to her.

The memory of his apology let Leah know she was forgetting something. To look at _herself_ for flaws. It didn't take long to find some.

"Sorry for snapping at you earlier," she allowed. It was quiet, really quiet, but his werewolf senses would've allowed him to hear it anyways.

If only he was awake.

His lack of response made Leah look up to realize that he was already asleep. She rolled her eyes, amused.

_Goodnight, sweet prince._

Leah remained on the floor, not wanting to risk waking up Jacob by trying to slither onto the couch. Leah got cut a lucky break by him drifting off on his own, but she didn't think she could manage to do it again if she woke him up. Leah wasn't _that_ skilled, so she wasn't taking any chances. She felt tempted to ditch altogether and go home to Sue and Seth, but opted to stay. After all, Quil and Embry would probably snitch on her and she promised Sam she would spent the whole night. The thought of Quil brought back the memory of his words, which were the last things she needed to convince her to stay. She curled up on the floor as comfortably as she could as she remembered them.

_"It's my job as your pack brother to protect my fellow werewolf family."_


	5. Good Nature

By some miracle, Leah had gotten a full night's sleep in the Black house, of all places.

Or, more than a full night's sleep, rather. Leah woke to the bright streams of sunlight striking brightly directly against her eyelids, having slowly trekked across the floor with the rising Sun. The sunbeams entered through the nearest window, and disturbed her sleeping eyes enough to wake the brain to investigate. Leah stirred uncomfortably for a while before poking her eyes open to examine the room. Briefly thrown off by waking in a foreign location, her memories soon reminded her that she spent the night at Jacob's.

The first thing she noticed was that the Jacob Black that was leaning against the couch asleep the last she saw him was now absent entirely. _Must've got up or something._ The second thing she noticed was the hands on the analog clock showing a much later time than she expected to see.

_8:42_

Leah had never been an expert at reading analog clocks, but she was certain that it was almost 9 in the morning. She usually never slept that late, let alone somewhere as uncomfortable as the hardwood floor in Jacob's house. Leah was almost shocked it took her so long to wake up. Slowly and lazily, she dragged herself upright and stretched before stumbling forward around the living room. She didn't exactly know where everything was in the house, she'd only been inside of it a handful of times. She found her way to the kitchen easily enough, where she found her missing pack brother.

"Good morning," Billy greeted as she turned the corner.

"Good morning," Leah mumbled tiredly, advancing past him.

"Sleep well?" Billy called towards her.

"Apparently," Leah said, remembering the time she slept until. She pushed on into the kitchen, finding where her missing werewolf pack brother had gone.

Jacob looked what could only be described by Leah as at least a small bit intoxicated. His eyes were half-closed and he was rocking back and forth a small bit. At first glance, she would have assumed he was tired or anxious, until she remembered that Jacob Black didn't tire easily and he wasn't naturally anxious. It was then she noticed the opened bottle of alcohol on the counter accompanied by the smell of it. Jacob wasn't holding the cup at that moment, but it was nearby on the counter. Leah felt an immediate surge of anger and disappointment at the scene. With Jacob looking similar to how she pictured Seth a few years down the line, the sight triggered a reaction of strong disdain.

"You're actually unreal," Leah loudly scolded. "This is completely overdramatic."

Jacob snorted, without a reply. Leah continued.

"It's not even 9 o'clock, yet, hot damn." Leah grumbled under her breath before inaudibly adding a "Jesus fuckin' Christ". Jacob only laughed back.

"Sam dropped by a few hours ago, maybe 2? He dropped off the patrol schedule or somethin'," Jacob informed, pointing to an index card on the counter. _I guess Sam wrote it more than once today._ Leah bound over to the index card, giving Jacob another scowl for his intoxication, examining the patrol schedule. It was written with a black pen, as opposed to the pencil lead that it was usually in. Nothing was out of the ordinary with the schedule itself.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Embry_   
_6am - 9am / Quil, Jared_   
_9am - 3pm / Jacob, Paul_   
_3pm - 6pm / Brady, Collin_   
_6pm - 12am / Seth, Leah_

Leah was dryly amused by the way Sam alternated the order with the names in the patrol schedule. Sometimes Leah would be written before Seth, and sometimes it would be the other way around. Whenever she was particularly running low on reasons to get up in the morning, she musters up the energy by forcing excitement and anticipation into herself over whether Sam would write her name first or her brother's. The only constant was how Sam was always first with whatever partner he was with.

"Have fun patrolling with Paul today." Leah quipped, internally getting back at him for his behavior. "I'm sure you'll have a blast with it."

"Oh, pipe down, wouldya?" Jacob retorted, taking another shot of whatever alcohol he was drinking. It was all the same to Leah, and it appalled her to watch, even more so by how close it was to sunrise. Leah groaned and tilted her head away in an obvious fashion. She would rather examine the wall than look at her obnoxious pack brother a second longer. Jacob merely snorted again. "Look away all you want."

"Gladly."

"Hey," Jacob said, after a few second's silence. He set his cup down as if he just remembered something. "When Sam came over to drop the thingy off, he sat next to you for a few minutes without ya even waking up, just.. watchin' you and stuff," Jacob finished, before breaking into small giggles. Somehow, his news was less urgent than Leah had imagined, but it still caused her face to burn up in red.

"What's wrong with that, exactly?" Leah was glad she had the foresight to look away, or Jacob would never let her forget how red her face turned after hearing what he said.

"Oh, nothin', nothin'."

"No, you told me for a reason. Why?" Leah grew a tad angrier.

"S'nothing, just forget I said it," Jacob said, though he was still smiling.

"Not so fast, Black!" Leah growled. "What do you _mean_ by that?"

Before Jacob could answer, there was a knock on his backdoor before the figure entered without being let it. The knock was just to let him know he would have a visitor, evidently, not asking for permission. In the door came who had become the bane of Leah's existence.

"Jake!"

Emily and Jacob shared a hug. It was the first time Emily had seen him in weeks, since before he left. She was carrying a muffin in her hand which she pressed against his neck after having nowhere to put it during their embrace. It was Jacob who broke the hug, with Emily seemingly not even noticing his intoxication, or not caring.

"G'day," Jacob greeted. "That for me?"

"The muffin? Of course, silly! I still remember your favorite," Emily responded, tossing him the muffin. Leah was silently watching the whole scene play out, unnoticed by Emily, with her back leaning to the fridge and her arms crossed indifferently. "It's so good to _see_ you! It's been so long! How've you been?"

"You know, the average."

"That's always good. You've always - o-oh, hello to you too, Leah!"

"Hrmpf. _Likewise._ " Leah's tone wasn't genuine, and anyone could've picked out the lie in her tone. She wasn't happy to see Emily at all. Emily felt awkward just being there.

"I.. uh.. didn't know you'd be here, heh," Emily laughed in discomfort. "Would've brought a muffin for you if I knew I'd see you."

"It's fine." Leah forced an insincere smile that doubled as a piercing scowl. Emily shifting uncomfortably, suddenly itching all over as a byproduct to unease.

"Well I uh.. better get going, y'know?"

"Mhmm," Leah agreed.

"Catch up with you later.. talk to you soon..? I hope..?" Without waiting for a response, Emily shuffled out the door before more painful awkwardness could ensue.

"She's full of it," Leah commented bitterly once Emily was out of earshot. Jacob took a gargantuan bite out of the muffin that Emily had given him, chewing it as fast as his alcohol-buzzed jaws would operate. Jacob continued to messily devour the muffin before finishing it and topping it off.

"Not bad," Jacob complimented. "I don't understand your vendetta against Emily's baked goods."

"My vendetta against Emily's baked goods is none of your beeswax."

Jacob, without a response, took another shot of whatever alcohol he was drinking. Spirits, maybe, based on the smell Leah picked up. Sufficiently repulsed by the scene, Leah turned away.

"Is this gonna be a regular thing with you?" Leah asked, causing Jacob to grin.

"Possibly."

"Eurgh," Leah groaned out. "Why don't you make yourself useful and tell me if Sam said anything about my brother or my mom?"

"Who?"

"My _brother_ and my _mom_. Seth and Sue Clearwater. Sam was on patrol with Embry for six hours, shouldn't Sam have known?"

"They're fine," Jacob coughed out. Leah looked at him as if she was expecting him to say more. "That's all I know," Jacob defended upon noticing her glare. Leah sighed.

"How're _you_ , in any case? Still wanna root trees outta the ground?"

"Partially," Jacob said, softening. "Things aren't really going too well, but I'll get by, I hope," he explained. Leah looked at him thoughtfully, a gesture Jacob didn't notice. "Plus, the alcohol helps." Leah groaned.

"You know, you almost had my pity until that last sentence." Leah grumbled, rolling her eyes. Jacob smiled.

"Glad to blow it yet again."

Leah, uninterested in interacting with Jacob any further, picked up the index card from where she set it down, reexamining it. She studied every aspect of it. It was slightly wrinkled, hinting it may have been passed around the pack, but it could've also just been faultily handled by Jacob. The index card was only a distraction to stop herself from thinking about what Jacob said. _Why was Sam watching me like that?_ It bothered her more than she considered reasonable. What was he doing? Was he wishing for her back, wondering why he ever had to imprint? Was he mentally scolding her for everything she did wrong? Comparing her to Emily only to decide that Emily was without-a-doubt better than her? Or was Jacob lying to her altogether? She wouldn't put it past Jacob, but she also wouldn't put it past Sam.

After a while of absentminded scanning, Leah realized that there would be a patrol shift in less than 10 minutes. _And Jacob had the shift._

"Jacob, you clumsy idiot! You're due for patrol! In 10 minutes!" Leah yelled, pushing into his side in an attempt to rush him out of the house.

"I'll be fine, amiga, just relax," Jacob said, setting the cup of alcohol down. He immediately downed a waiting cup of room temperature water, causing Leah to give him a confused stare.

"I'll never quite understand you."

"Thanks."

Leah growled in an inner battle with herself. She knew Sam would be massively upset if Jacob did his patrol while drunk, especially on his first real patrol in months. It would be one terrible impression, no doubt. It would be Jacob's funeral, though. This was his decision and these are the consequences he has to live with. Unfortunately, Leah realized that Jacob would probably drunkenly leak his memories freely into the pack mind, and Paul would be able to see how Leah _let_ him do it. So while Jacob is the cause, Leah could be pinned as an accomplice for knowingly risking the safety of La Push. She knew there was no bribing Paul, either; the pack could spread gossip so quickly it could break Usain Bolt's records if it had legs.

There was no getting out of this one. Leah was linked to Jacob in this situation, and she would get slammed by Sam right alongside Jacob. Reluctantly, she faced her choices, and knew that she wasn't looking at a lot of options.

"C'mon, I'll take your patrol for you. I'll do your shift." It took a lot for Leah to say it out loud. She desperately didn't want to do it.

"Not a chance," Jacob said, waving off her decree. "There's no way I'm even considering that. Two patrols in one day is like suicide for werewolves."

"Where do I sign?" Leah asked, gasping and mocking excitement. Jacob merely sighed at her attempt at humor. "You and I both know that Sam will crucify you if you run your patrol while drunk, and he'll crucify _me_ right after when Paul reads your memories of me letting you do it without stopping you." Jacob grumbled, considering her point. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't refute it. He seemed grumpy at being beat in the scenario.

"Fine." Jacob conceded after a small silence. "But you better look after yourself, Leah."

"I will," Leah assured. "But it's my job to look after _you_ in the meantime." Leah crossed the room, stopping at the door. "Also, you better pull your act together because I'm never covering for you like this again."

Leah left without so as much as an acknowledgement from Jacob. She crossed the yard in relative silence, grumbling to herself. Half her day would be spent exhausting herself running around the reservation trying to ward off bloodsucking leeches off their property. She slowed her walk in an attempt to delay the inevitable. Worse yet, she hasn't seen her family in almost 12 hours, and she'd have to wait another 6. By the end of it all, she'll be closer to the 1-day _anniversary_ of her last seeing Seth and Sue than she will be to actually seeing them last. She trusted Jacob to tell them, if nothing else. That theory, though flimsy, would have to tie her over until then. She wanted to keep her covering of Jacob's shift a secret from Sam entirely, but she knew that the pack gossiped like schoolgirls, so she wouldn't be able to keep it under wraps for long. At the very least, Leah wanted to put off the Great Wrath of Sam Uley.

Leah left her clothes in Jacob's shed, thinking ahead to give her a secluded, cozy, indoor place to change back into her clothes once done with her first patrol shift of the day. She took a deep breath in, mentally and physically preparing herself for the possible suicide that awaited her that day. _Gotta start somewhere_. With one last deep breath, Leah left Jacob's shed and made a beeline for the woods, which weren't far. As soon as she was buried by the forest enough, she closed her eyes and tried to picture the Leah-wolf in her head, trying to force herself into it. It was more than happy to come out, and if anyone was timing it, they would've recognized it to be her personal phasing record: 2 and 3/4 seconds.

_... now, bro. And - our savior has arrived, woo!_

_And it's.. not Jacob. His wolf is louder.. is that.. Leah? Leah, that you?_

_What're you doin' here, Clearwater?_ Jared's confusion and surprise was clear.

_I'm taking Jacob's shift._

_Why, exactly? I thought you only patrolled with Seth._

_Today's the exception._

_What's wrong with Jacob? His legs broken or something?_

_He's.. unavailable,_ Leah came up with, hoping Jared wouldn't prod her further. Thankfully, he didn't.

_Alright, just uh.. be careful, and don't push yourself, a'ight?_

_A'ight._

_You're actually a bit early, Leah. By around 6 or so minutes._

_Is that so?_ Leah internally scolded herself for rushing.

 _S'okay, Leah, we're early all the time._ Quil comforted.

 _Yeah, like the time I showed up a full 15 minutes early without realizing it,_ Jared added, a bit embarrassed. Embarrassing anecdotes tended to comfort people.

_Why don't we divide the perimeter into thirds for the next 6 minutes then, hm?_

_I'm down with that._ Jared's voice was clearly tired. He was more than happy to accept a smaller area, as Jared was running on fumes from patrolling from patrolling 9 out of the last 16 hours. All the wolves readjusted their routes to take a third, with Quil deleting some route behind him and Jared in front on him, in order to make a slot for Leah to run. By the time Leah reached the circumference from the center point of Jacob's shed, her path was already cleared by Quil and Jared and she chose a direction to start off in at random; left.

 _Seth and your mom are fine, by the_ way. Quil said, calming Leah's worried a tad. _At least when I left them. I'm not sure if either one slept that much, though, if at all._

Leah moaned worriedly, though quietly.

 _I sure as hell did, though,_ Quil continued, laughing lightly to break the tension he felt in his gut by being in Leah's presence. _You gotta nice floor, Leah._

 _Thanks, Quil._ Leah replied, dryly amused. They had a guest bed and a couch, after all, and Quil still opted for the floor. The rest of the 4 minutes passed in silence before Quil and Jared were officially off the clock. In a typical Paul Lahote fashion, he had failed to show up on time. If they were near a church, the bell would've rang 9 times, sealing Paul's tardiness. All of them noticed his lateness. Jared struggled to keep upright as the Jared-wolf dug into every possible energy source it could in an attempt to find the energy to keep going by just a few more minutes. Leah wondered whether Jared would just sleep it off in wolf form once his patrol ended, because she doubted he would make it all the way back to civilization before crashing somewhere.

 _Don't tempt me._ Jared warned. She could tell he was genuinely considering sleeping as a wolf on the forest floor, he was so tired. The Jared-wolf wholeheartedly agreed with it.

 _Ladies and gentlemen!_ Paul's voice broke through loudly, startling Quil and Leah. _I have arrived._

 _Visibly._ Jared thought, annoyed that Paul's lateness pushed his limits with his energy limits. _You're late. Again._

_Yeah, that happens sometimes._

_Too often._

_I'll work on it._

_You better, bro._

_Hey, quick question?_

_She's taking Jacob's shift._ Quil answered before Paul even had time to ask the obvious question.

 _Good luck,_ Jared offered to Leah. _You're gonna need it. You're setting yourself up for a killer day._

 _In more ways than one,_ Quil added. Without needing to be told twice, Quil phased back. Losing the inner battle to his wolf, Jared collapsed on the forest floor and his thoughts fizzled out within seconds as he succumbed to sleep. It was clear he wouldn't have made it all the way home, he could've been anywhere in the woods. Jared's presence was tangible, but his thoughts remained dull, soft buzzes that couldn't be read. All Leah could tell for certain was that he was peaceful, and his mindset was tranquil.

_So, what exactly are you doin' here? I was promised a quantity of one Jacob Black as a patrol partner. Did Sam change the schedule without telling me? Or did he give me somethin' outdated to -_

_Hush up, Paul. I swapped Jacob's patrol last minute._

_Is it really a 'swap' if you're intending to do your own patrol later?_

_I don't have time for technicalities._

_You kidding? We have all the time in the goddamn universe! 6 whole hours to spend together and bond!_ The entire sentence was said in an overly excited way, but the way Paul emphasized "bond" struck a nerve in Leah. It annoyed her more than she considered reasonable. Without a reply, Paul tried his hand at asking again. _But seriously, did Jake get hit by a piano or something? Why ain't he here?_

 _Lower your voice, wouldya?_ _You're gonna wake the baby._ Leah lowered her voice when she voiced her thoughts, cautious about disturbing Jared. _Jacob is.. out of action, let's say._ Although she was trying not to, her memories showed the pack mind, and subsequently her patrol partner, exactly what happened between her and Jacob just 10 minutes prior. Paul coughed out a low laugh that caused Leah to twitch uncomfortably.

 _Yeah, rather out of action indeed._ Paul voiced through chuckled. _But hey, s'5 o'clock somewhere, right?_

 _Stick to the task at hand, Paul._ Leah recommended. _And for the second time, try to keep your voice down, unless you're in the mood to drag your big lug of a pack brother a few miles back home._

_I'll pass on that._

_I'll patrol your areas if you do._ Leah bargained in a sing-song voice that let him know it wasn't a genuine offer.

_Tempting, but no._

_Also, try not to make things awkward or difficult?_

_When have I ever made things awkward or difficult?_ Leah rolled her eyes so far back she could've bowled a strike.

_Look, it's been a while since I've patrolled with you, and I remember you making things awkward and difficult, so just.. don't be yourself, alright?_

_Yes m'am,_ Paul's sarcastic voice rang through. If the Paul-wolf's arm was more flexible, the words would've been accompanied by a military salute. Leah saw his intentions anyways, growling.

_The next 6 hours are gonna drag, aren't they?_

_Hey,_ Paul called sternly, yet suppressed laughs filled the pack mind anyways. _Don't wanna wake the baby, do we?_

『••✎••』

Patrol couldn't end soon enough, in Leah's eyes.

 _Same time next week?_ Paul joked. As much as she didn't want to, Leah fought back a smirk at his joke. At least he was aware of his reputation of making her uncomfortable. Leah phased back at 3 o'clock sharp, leaving Paul and the still-dozing Jared behind. She drifted towards the Black house during her last leg of patrol so that she wouldn't have to travel far in the windy La Push back to where she left her clothes in Jacob's shed. She felt like a trespasser entering Jacob's shed without making her presence known, but she had property in there in the form of her clothes, so she had an excuse. She changed back without anyone ever entering or questioning what she was doing there.

She left the shed and crossed the yard, not bothering to stop through the house to check on Jacob or Billy. She'd hear from Jacob in good time, and after covering his ass running a 6 hour shift with their most charmingly unlikable pack brother, she wasn't in the proper mood to see him face-to-face. Through his backyard and onto the road, she was underway back to her own house for the first time in just under a day. The sight of the Clearwater house had never looked so welcoming as it approached on the horizon.

 _Alright, if I budget my time just right, I'll probably have enough time to shower, grab a snack, and rest up for my_ real _patrol in a few hours._

Leah walked through her backdoor, momentarily forgetting how her family hasn't seen her in almost a full rotation of the Earth.

"Leah!" Sue called, surprised, almost dropping the plate she was washing. Leah barely had time to look around the room before her overprotective brother teleported across the room and buried her in a scorching werewolf hug. Seth shook extremely subtly, but it didn't go unnoticed by Leah. His shaking denoted that he was clearly very worried about her.

"Where _were_ you? I haven't seen you since- before the wedding and then you were at Jacob's and then you weren't there when I checked and- and-" Seth blubbered.

"Shh, _eaaasy_ , Sethseth," Leah soothed. Leah smiled in satisfaction as she felt Seth's shaking slow, involuntarily relaxing to the way she addressed him.

"That's cheating, Lee."

"Nuh uh," Leah argued. "It's being _strategic_ and _resourceful_."

As a naturally restless and feisty infant, Seth would need extra pushes in order to get him to be quiet. Sue had tried everything under the Sun, and everything proved to be no match for the restiveness of little Seth Clearwater. In the end, Sue crumbled in defeat by whispering his name a hundred times in a big long string in exhaust. Miraculously, that seemed to work, and little Seth Clearwater began to associate hearing his name repeated in a big long string with feelings of calmness. Harry and Sue kept this up until he grew older, but it never seemed to wear off, which Leah would hold against him from time to time during her brother's particularly stubborn moments.

Leah softly moved back and forth in a small and subtle motion, talking over Seth's shoulder to her mother.

"How were Embry and Quil? Were they halfway decent guests or did they wreck the place?"

"Oh, those two?" Sue asked, as if surprised she needed to answer it. "They were fine. Embry seemed jovial and Quil was sweet as always. Those two are a real hoot, they are. Always have something to say, some story to tell," Sue reminisced. "Embry had to leave around midnight, though, and Quil fell asleep on the floor not too long after." For Leah, the mental image of Quil sleeping on the Clearwater floor was almost enough to rinse away the memory of him tearing up on the forest floor after she yelled her head off.

 _Almost_ enough.

Seth stirred a little in Leah's arms, reminding her that he was still in her hug. She patted him twice on the back with her hands before pulling away, breaking the embrace. Worry persisted in his eyes and burned into Leah's soul. Just past Seth's eyes, she could see that the Seth-wolf was desperate for her safety, and it probably would've whimpered if it could. Leah did her best to calm the both of them down.

"I'm fine, Seth, I promise. It's all okay." Leah said as she traveled over to the fridge, in search of water. If there's anything that'll stir up an insane thirst, it's running around like a mental patient around the Native American reservation in search of vampires out to kill everyone. She opened the fridge and made sure not to grab one of the many bottles marked with an S, as Seth was seemingly incapable of finishing a bottle before starting a new one. Leah poured a few ounces out of her bottle to the pine tree that was still growing and sprouting in her kitchen, having been rescued from her own rage. The very plant she attempted to kill, she now gave life to.

"Where _were_ you, Lee?" Seth asked. "Why weren't you at the Black house?" Leah snapped around.

"You mean Jacob didn't tell you? He didn't fill you in?"

"On what?" Seth asked, clueless.

"I took Jacob's spot on patrol."

"First I've heard of it," Seth said, shrugging. He wasn't supremely worried about it now that he knew she wasn't off in a dungeon somewhere, but surprise still showed in his voice, woven underneath his tone. Leah was even more surprised that Jacob didn't tell him where she was. _He said he went over to the Black house. Jacob would've been there. Why didn't he tell him? He let my baby brother panic for hours?_ Leah was bubbling up in anger at the possibility alone, going off of nothing but Seth's word. She fought to keep the Leah-wolf down. The only thing stopping Leah from a vicious storm of fury was the possibility that she didn't know the whole story.

"You mean to tell me that Jacob lied to your face and let you run around terrified and worried since this morning?"

"I wouldn't call myself terrified and worried.."

_"Answer me, Seth."_

"Yeah, I - I guess he did. He told me you weren't there and that he didn't know where you were."

That was all Leah and the Leah-wolf needed to hear. She had gotten her confirmation and nothing was restraining her anger now.

"I'm gonna grind up Jacob until he's subatomic." Leah vowed, growling, storming towards the back door. Seth jumped to walk at her side, subtly attempting to cross in front of her to block her path.

"I don't think that's necessary, sis," Seth insisted. "I think you're overreacting just a tiny bit." Leah wasn't swayed.

"Jacob is an asshole for doing that. I'm gonna make 'im sorry for it," Leah swore, bursting out the back door, with Seth trailing and Sue staying behind.

"Why don't we uh.. think about this for a bit? You took Jacob's patrol, right? Does that make him my patrol partner later? We can make up then, sis."

"I'm still your patrol partner later," Leah said, hurriedly. Seth's blood pressure immediately shot up like Apollo 11, which Leah could almost hear with his escalated breathing. "We'll talk about it later, Seth. I've got somewhere to be."

"Yeah, overreacting and makin' a scene over at the Black house?"

_"Seth."_

"I really don't think this is necessary, Leah," Seth mediated, with edges of panic in his voice. The worry didn't go unnoticed by Leah as she was reminded of why she was currently blazing towards Jacob's. _She didn't want Seth to panic. And here he is, panicking. And it's your fault this time, doofus._ Leah turned around, bumping into Seth, only then realizing how close behind her he was. She wrapped him in a second hug. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Leah discouraged him.

"Don't speak," Leah said softly. "I'll be back soon this time. You have my word. I'm just going to have a friendly discussion with Jacob. I'll be back soon if you promise to stay here with mom, okay?"

Seth thought on it for a bit. He didn't exactly like either option. He wanted to stop Leah from doing something stupid, but he couldn't stop her. Her mind was made up.

"Alright," Seth forfeited. With that, Leah broke the hug, turned around, and started off towards Jacob's again. Seth wasn't behind her this time.

『••✎••』

Approaching the property, Leah determined that he was out in the garage, judging by the noise coming from the small building. She tore across his property without permission. He noticed her approach, but he didn't seem angry about her trespassing, as if she wasn't a totally unexpected sight. He didn't look up from what he was working on when he spoke after seeing who it was.

"Were you in here?" Jacob asked. "There's some footprints on the ground over here, and this one kinda looks like a pawpri -"

"What the fuck, Jacob?" Leah yelled, not bothering to answer his question. Jacob was immediately confused and on the defense.

"Huh?" Jacob stuttered out. If nothing else, Leah was at least dryly happy to see he no longer looked as drunk as she remembered him being that morning.

"Why didn't you tell Seth where I was when he came over this morning?" Leah angrily asked. Jacob merely chuckled, causing Leah to doubt herself. "He _did_ come over, didn't he?"

"I don't need to answer to that kid," Jacob added, laughing lightly. "I'm not his subordinate. Hell, that kid is _my_ subordinate. Besides, you came home. He found out soon enough."

"Why couldn't you just tell him? It would've been just as easy, if not _easier!"_ Leah shot back, her voice rising more. Jacob managed to keep a somewhat neutral volume.

"He was being annoying and pushy," Jacob argued. "Kinda had it coming with an attitude like that."

"I don't believe that for a fuckin' second."

"Well it's not a matter about what you _believe_. Whether or not you _believe_ it, it's what happened. That's how it was."

"I don't doubt that's how _you_ see it, but you've never been a good judge of character anyways so I can't believe your perspective," Leah retorted. "You still should've just _told_ Seth. It would've been super easy and he would've left and everyone could've had a slightly less shitty day. I was doing you a favor to begin with, the least you could do is fill people in instead of telling lies on purpose."

"Whatever," Jacob said indifferently and annoyed, getting up and crossing the shed to look for something on the opposite side of the room. Leah grumbled, visibly upset. When Jacob turned around to return to his seat, he noticed that clearly wasn't happy with something he said. "What?"

"That _kid_ loves you, you know. He looks up to you. And you're such an asshole back to him. He asked a simple question and you couldn't give him a straight answer."

Jacob dug around for a rebuttal, but he lacked one. He was out of excuses and he couldn't really refute what she said, still not wanting to resign to losing the argument.

"Fine, if it means so much to you, then I'm sorry for not telling that kid where you were." Jacob backed off, offering his haphazard apology. Leah knew she wasn't going to get anything more profound out of Jacob Black of all people, so she was forced to accept it, grumbling, although she wasn't happy about it. The way he said it made her question whether he even really meant it. Suddenly, she was desperate to change the subject.

"How're you holding up, anyway?" Leah asked, not sincerely caring at first. Jacob was surprised she was even pretending to care.

"Fineish, but still sad," Jacob answered. Leah wasn't prepared to answer him, not really knowing what to say. She wasn't an expert in having the love of your life desert your werewolf self in favor of mind-reading vampires. Thankfully, Leah didn't have to answer in the end after Jacob, noticing her silence, simply smiled back, bailing her out of having to reply. After a short silence of not knowing what to say on either side, Jacob came up with something.

"How was patrol with Paul?" Jacob asked, smiling. He know there was no way she could've possibly enjoyed it.

"You don't wanna know," Leah said, grimacing to the memory. She would almost rather patrol with Sam and his eternal parade of thoughts about Emily than be stuck with Paul.

"Yeah, probably," Jacob agreed, smiling. Leah found herself non-ironically smiling back, and it didn't go unnoticed. "Aw, is that a _smile_ I see?"

"Don't ruin it, you'll probably never be doing this well for a long while."

"I'll take what I can get," Jacob replied. The pair was quite for a bit afterward, but it wasn't awkward this time. "Hey, you hungry?" Jacob asked suddenly. "I don't remember you eating much this morning, and then you went off and ran patrol on an empty stomach." Leah realized just how hungry she was after he pointed it out.

"Guess I'm a _little_ hungry."

"I can make ya something, no trouble," Jacob offered. Leah flinched a little, remembering what happened the last time someone offered to make her food. _Try not to make anyone cry this time, Leah._

"Fine, but only because I'm hungry," Leah conceded. Jacob and Leah started off towards the house, leaving the shed. "What do you have?"

"Lots."

"Rephrase, what do you have the _ability_ to make?"

"Ha, ha. You're throwing shade, but be warned, I can pour a bowl of cereal like a pro," Jacob promised. Leah rolled her eyes a little and smiled the tiniest bit.

Before the conversation could continue, they both heard a howl in the distance. It made a small echo off of Jacob's house and came back to them much quieter, a second time. The duo looked at each other immediately. They knew it couldn't be another false alarm because Paul had just finished his patrol. Leah wasn't sure who was on patrol presently, because she phased right when she was off the clock and the two taking over must have been a few seconds behind.

"Can you-?"

"Yeahyeah, sober now. C'mon, let's go!" Jacob invited, undressing and throwing his clothes into a pile. Leah did the same in a pile to the left of his. The two phased on the spot.

Paul-less howling could only mean one thing.

Jacob and Leah had to prepare for a fight.


	6. Brother's Keeper

Although it took Leah a few extra seconds, she and Jacob phased at roughly the same time. They were the first ones to phase in.

Everybody had gotten the patrol schedule that morning, or at least a carbon copy of it, and everyone knew that Collin and Brady would be covering this particular shift. Being 13-year-old middle school students, and rather timid ones at that, everyone was naturally skeptical of any howls they heard during their patrol periods. They were still just pups, and it took some time before anyone else would join, they both knew. Very few pack members took Collin and Brady as serious or talented scouts, but they insisted to be put on the patrol schedule anyways to prove that they were a part of the pack. Sam limited them to 3 hours a day each, but they were ecstatic to be on the patrol schedule at all.

 _Collin? What's the damage?_ Jacob asked. She knew Collin was a tad more talkative than Brady was.

 _I'm gonna hold off on explaining until a few more join in,_ Collin rationalized. _But you both should probably start heading towards the Eastern edge of the reservation._

 _Is it leeches?_ Jacob continued.

 _We think so._ Brady answered. _It smells like multiple, but it's.. rare for us to find anything so we could be wrong._ _Just uh.. follow the stream? I was just near it so maybe you can trace it?_ Brady's thoughts were already apologetic and timid, as if scared of calling a false alarm. His thoughts were worried and rushed, trying to minimize possible scolding should they have been wrong.

 _You're fine, kid. I can catch your scent, but thanks for the directions anyways._ Jacob thought, tearing towards the East, with Leah on his tail, slowly creeping up beside and past him. The Jacob-wolf growled upon seeing her advance, upset that she was better at him than something, with him being her pack superior. He forced himself to run faster, winding himself quicker. As the race to the East became a tie again, Sam phased into the pack mind. His wolf was silent, and his thoughts were still. He doesn't ask questions but his curious psyche lets them know that he's expecting an explanation without directly asking for one.

 _Bloodsuckers._ Jacob's one-word answer offered. He knew that Collin and Brady probably weren't gonna speak for themselves despite being the ones that sounded the primal alarm, considering how shy both of them were when it came to talking to Sam. The 6 year age gap added to Sam's authority over both of them created a rather awkward and tense atmosphere between the two groups; at least to Collin and Brady.

 _Where?_ Sam asked.

 _Eastern side, per Brady's word._ Sam's grumbles filled the pack mind as he turned 180 degrees, having been running in the wrong direction at first. Not long after, Quil and Jared phased in at almost the same time. Quil was energized and ready for action, while Jared was his polar opposite, being tired and drained. Sleeping as a wolf for almost 7 hours didn't seem to fully recharge everything, and his eyes were forced to focus intensely on the forest ground ahead of him to keep from gently flickering.

 _Head in the game,_ Sam gently encouraged, directed at everyone but mainly towards Jared, who appeared to be fighting off fatigue. Jared shook his head and looked ahead. THe pack's memories and peering through Brady's eyes helped Jared know where to go without being told. Six wolves were speeding towards the Eastern edge of the reservation while Brady rapidly spun in circles, helplessly trying to stall the pursuing vampires until help arrives. By this point, Brady could tell there were three, and as soon as he realized it, the realization spread like malaria through the pack mind.

Sam was several seconds into dividing 7 by 3 before realizing that he was coming up short a few pack members. As if on common, Seth and Paul phased in almost at the same time, though they weren't together. Seth's thoughts were oddly concealed and distant, and Paul couldn't wait to open his trap.

 _Sorry I'm late, boss. Boss Sam. Bosssam. Heh. Kinda sounds like 'blossom'._ Paul found his wordplay amusing. Sam could only sigh and growl.

_Can you go 20 minutes without saying something stupid?_

_That's asking a lot from me._ Paul retorted sarcastically, annoyed that Sam had the nerve to call his brilliant thoughts stupid.

 _Can't seem to catch a break, can we, Paul?_ Jared joked, chuckling, in relation to their similarities in getting the short straw with overexertion between patrols and now this.

 _Oh, quit yer bellyaching._ Sam thought. His voice wasn't in the very least threatening or angry; it was more of a comment without any actual merit.

 _Can we get a headcount, Sam?_ Jacob asked, feeling they were one short. Before Sam could properly begin counting, Embry phased in, a little haphazardly. His thoughts were a tiny bit jagged, as if he was in the middle of something that he struggled to finish in a hurry after hearing the howl. Nobody questions him about it because they all understand what it feels like. Embry panted slightly. _Is that everyone, then? With Embry?_

 _Heyo,_ Embry greeted, assuming he was being spoken to, having heard his name mentioned so soon into phasing.

 _Lemme do a headcount just in case._ Sam decided.

 _Canyoumakeitquickplease!_ Brady pleaded, growing exhausted of running in circles eluding three vampires, and helplessly scared for his life. He knew he couldn't take on three at one time. Nobody had arrived yet, much to his vexation. He would have to keep running. His distress encouraged many of the wolves to run faster, pushing their limits. Sam rushed a headcount.

_Jacob, Collin, Seth, Leah, Brady, Jared, Embry, Paul, Quil, that's nine.. and me! Sam! Alrightthat'sten! Let's go, we're coming, Brady. Double time!_

The pack raced to the Eastern side of the reservation, following Brady's scent. The smell of vampire multiplied with every step they took. For once, Collin and Brady had actually found something. Against all odds, despite phasing much later, Paul and Embry came across Brady before anyone else. Lucky placement towards the East. Collin was close behind, joining at Embry's side. The trio broke into the edge of the forest, where the trees fizzled out into open plains. There were trees visible 100 yards across, but it would be sufficient room to take on the gang of vampires.

Brady was in distress, with one vampire near swiping him into Canada with the force of his hand. Paul threw all his weight at Brady's attacker, knocking them clean off the ground and knocking them back a few feet. Brady was able to find his footing, with Embry and Collin halting a few feet behind Paul and the first newborn as backup, if needed. The other vampires kept their distance.

They would have more important things to worry about.

Jacob and Leah burst through the trees, trying to coordinate in their mind which vampire to go for. In an attempt to sync, Jacob quickly called out _BROWN SHOES_. Unfortunately, the two waiting vampires both had brown shoes, and Jacob and Leah forked to assault two different vampires. Two _waiting_ vampires. Jacob knocked his, the second vampire, to the ground, suffering a slice up his side as a result. He cried out briefly, suppressing the pain and not trying to think about whether he may be bleeding. Leah didn't knock hers over, but did get them, the third vampire, to stumble back. He swung his claws at her, with her ducking all four of them. There were no clear attacks on either side of Leah and her opponent.

Sam and Quil were next to burst through, both with the idea of protecting Leah. Sam sprinted over to the third vampire, with Quil on his heels. Sam bit onto the vampire's hand and immediately killed all energy to his legs, hoping the fall would be enough to rip his hand clean off. While it didn't separate, it did cause quite the injury to the Third's wrist. It would make swinging and maneuvering the hand difficult for them. Sam shot up once more, with Leah and Quil circling them. Sam soon joined the perimeter. _Play by ear_ , he recommended. _Don't attack until you're in a blindspot._

Seth crashed into the clearing less-than-gracefully, eyes frantically darting for a target. Leah was first to catch his eyes, but he noticed she was in good company with Sam and Quil. Seth glanced to Jacob, who was one-on-one with the Second, and decided that Jacob would need his help the most. Before Seth could dart off, Jared leaped clean over him and bound off towards Jacob. Seth was so close behind Jared he could nip his tail if he leaned forward a tad. The sight of Jacob's scratch troubled Jared, but it didn't stop him from biting deeply into the Second's rib cage. In a frenzied surprise, the Second snapped their hand back behind them, hitting Jared squarely in the face, causing his nose to bleed. Seth bowled himself into the Second's legs, trying to knock them over. He only got one leg off the ground, which the Second swiftly brought back down onto Seth, stomping on him and producing an awful cracking noise.

Paul's face was covered in scratches. The First was no joke with their nails. Collin was too timid to be the first up to the plate, and as the smallest of the three, he would be the one with the least chance anyways. Embry was the only candidate for the job. Paul stumbled back upon another sock to the eyes, briefly blinding him. The vampire used his temporary lack of sight to speedily semicircle around him into Paul's blindspot, where they powerfully beat him over the head, knocking him to the ground. Before the First could go in for the kill, Embry shot into the First at full-speed. The notion sent the First to the ground, but they pushed Embry off quickly and got up. Embry was facing the other direction. Collin was still trembling, questioning his usefulness. Paul was struggling to lift himself off the ground. As soon as Embry turned around, the First stabbed him through the shoulder with a sharp elm tree stick. The resulting bleeding was heavy, and the First ripped the stick out of his shoulder right after, causing Embry to gush blood out of his large cut. Embry howled in agony, crumbling to the ground.

Leah and Sam still circled the Third. They had their good hand outstretched in a threatening motion. Drifting into the Third's blindspot, Quil charged him from behind, hoping to tear his arm clean off. Making the mistake of bringing his head too close to a newborn's capable hands, the Third whipped around and grabbed Quil by the neck, snapping his hands in opposite directions. The Third's attempt at snapping Quil's neck wouldn't kill him, but it would sprain him enough to briefly incapacitate him. Quil skidded across the ground, cutting his side on small rocks and twigs, before friction brought him to a halt a few feet away. Quil struggled to get up, collapsing on each try. The Third turned back to Leah, swinging his bad hand at her in an attempt to fracture her skull. She took the opportunity to grab his hand and rip it clean off. The Third cried in pain.

Jacob jumped up on the Second, with Seth's breathing labored. Jared, still bleeding nasally, offered a paw to Seth to help him back on his feet. His inhales were painful and his exhales were sharp, but it would have to do. Jacob grabbed the Second by the arms and threw him back towards Jared and Seth, with Jared raising his paw to intercept him. Holding his arm out like a solid bar, when the Second made contact, the inertia snapped the Second's spine on the spot and sent them towards the Earth. Not quite dead yet, they scrambled to get up, delivering Jacob a kick to the face when he came near. Jacob's snout burned like the oldest cinder in Hell, and Seth could hardly see straight from his lung trauma. Despite his nosebleed, Jared knew that he had to strike while the Second was at their lowest.

With Paul and Embry out of the game, it was up to Collin and Brady to finish off the First. They eyed each other, terrified, not knowing what to do. They glanced around looking for help, only to find the other wolves rather occupied or on the ground and injured. It was well and truly up to them. The First, having forgotten mostly about Brady, was eyeing Collin ravenously, approaching him and near foaming at the mouth. While the First was looking towards Collin, Brady was able to tackle the First from behind, sending them crashing to the ground below. Collin bolted over and tossed all his weight on the First's head, rolling over them twice. The crumbling sound from inside the First's head let them know that the First's skull had collapsed. The First had suffered their second death. Collin and Brady looked at each other, and then at Paul. He was staring at them with a look of surprise, and then a colossal wolfy smile appeared on his mouth. _I'm proud of you two._

Jared viciously bit the Second, crippling him for life even if he did make it out alive. Seth was still catching his breath and Jacob was still trying to shake the full-body pains the Second had inflicted on him. The Second charged and Jared, throwing his hands around the werewolf's neck in an attempt to crush him instantly. Before he had the chance to complete the move, Jared bit the Second's head in such close proximity that they were bleeding out of three places. Their hands instinctively flew up to their face to clot it, releasing Jared's neck. Jared took the opportunity to finish the job, kicking the Second to the ground and tearing them limb from limb. The Second had suffered their second death as well. Seth watched in slight horror as the Second was ripped to shreds a matter of 12 inches from his eyes. Jacob was impressed.

The Third was now handless and at the mercy of Sam and Leah. Without their near-only weapon, the Third was almost helpless. Leah charged at him with him only having his non-dominant hand to defend. The defense was useless. The Third was thrown to the ground and kept paralyzed by Leah while Sam pounded his head. There was no doubt that the Third had also died their second death, but long after, Sam kept punching the Third's head, it growing less and less recognizable with every blow. The Sam-wolf had assumed full control of Sam, and it showed no signs of stopping until the Third was nothing but dust and forgotten history. Sam must have been two dozen punches in before Quil was forced to pull his Alpha off to keep him from going insane. The Sam-wolf struggled under Quil's restraint, but the physical connection between him and Quil in addition to the human thoughts Quil was supplying brought Sam back to reality.

 _C'mon, c'mon.. come back.. there's no more. They're gone. They're dead. We did it._ Quil's mantras changed every couple seconds, slowly scaring the Sam-wolf back into the physical-form-only variety. Eye contact with Quil also helped Sam return to a healthy balance of mind. Sam closed his eyes soon after to take a breather.

Three dead vampires lay in the field. Several injured werewolves remained alive. Victorious in the battle. Victory, sadly, came at a price.

 _Is everyone okay?_ Sam asked towards everyone. Most of the pack responded in the affirmative, most of the pack lying or not realizing or accepting the severity of their injuries. Most of the wolves answered Sam's question. All but one.

Paul was bleeding out of his head, a few minor scratches and slightly dizzy and disoriented, but otherwise alright. Not only were Collin and Brady heroes for the first time, but they also emerged mostly unharmed, with Brady only getting a very small cut on his underside. Jacob's snout was severely irritated and he was scratched up in many places, but they would heal fast. Jared had a nosebleed and a few deep cuts, but would be healed in less than three days. Seth just needed a few minutes to catch his breath and wait for his lungs to heal and he would be right as rain. Leah was unharmed, and Quil would be alright soon, even if his cuts made him hurt and ache all over. Sam only had a few bleeding scrapes, but besides it the only trouble would be keeping his wolf in check.

Sam went through all the voices he heard assuring him they were okay and noticed one was missing. _Embry Call._

The other wolves perked up to hearing his name. It was then they realized they hadn't heard him speak, either. Collin and Brady skipped over to Embry, examining his wounds. He had a deep gash on his shoulder where he was stabbed, and it showed no signs of clotting anytime soon. The good news was that Embry was very much alive and kicking. There was a wave of instant relief as soon as Collin delivered his diagnosis that he was still breathing.

 _He's.. not doing so hot, it doesn't look like._ Collin noticed. Sam padded over to him, looking him over himself.

 _Are you okay, Embry?_ Sam asked with upmost seriousness. He took matters of making sure his pack was okay very firmly. Embry didn't answer.

 _Embry?_ A few voices called. Sam growled protectively.

 _ **Speak.**_ Sam ordered. At the command, Embry immediately verbalized all sorts of sounds of pain, distress, and agony, mixed into a terrible snowball of despair and misery. His noises of suffering and anguish troubled the pack, and they all immediately worried about his wellbeing. In obvious misery from being forced to speak, Sam released him from the command as fast as he possibly could. Embry quieted to that. A few stray thoughts flew around Embry's head, one of which included his intentions to hide his injury from the pack as long as possible. Sam was having none of that. _Embry. This isn't something to take lightly, and you cannot hide this from us. We're your pack. We need you safe._

 _It's not that bad, I can live with it,_ Embry insisted, his thoughts strained as he choked the words out. His tone didn't match his words.

 _That's not an excuse. There isn't a reason to hide something like this from your pack brothers._ Sam went on.

 _If it keeps you guys from panicking, it's a good reason in my book._ Embry argued. Sam growled.

 _You need immediate medical attention. Wherever you can get it._ Sam decreed. _And that is non-negotiable._

 _It'll heal all by itself in time!_ Embry argued, his voice cracking a tad from the suppressed pain. _Werewolves are good at healing, you know._

 _Wouldyoujust-_ Sam started, annoyed. Lacking the words to finish his sentence, he left it incomplete. Instead, he padded over to Embry, who had stood up. Sam bumped his forehead against Embry's and aimed his head down, which forced Embry's down at an angle as well. This gave Sam and Embry very clear, large, and unobstructed eye contact with the other. _Take care of yourself, dammit._

 _I'll be fine, Sam._ Embry scoffed internally while thinking "fine", angered that it needed to be spelled out. He was so clearly fine, at least to himself, and yet, here everyone was doubting his judgment. Embry and Sam remained in close eye contact, neither one daring so as much to even blink. The two aren't threatening each other, though Sam's dark eyes still hold anger for Embry's apparent disregard for his own wellbeing. To Sam, Embry refused to accept the severity of his injury, with him still bleeding heavily and the fading adrenaline amplifying the pain as time went on. To Embry, Sam was being overprotective and worrying about nothing.

 _I'd hate to get in the middle of your moment,_ Jacob interrupted, rolling his eyes over their pseudo-argument. _But I may have found something of note._

 _Oh?_ Sam questioned, still staring firmly at Embry. He didn't break his intense gaze to look at whatever marvel Jacob had found.

 _Yeah. The one I took down with Jared and Seth? He had this on him._ Jacob tossed something small and metallic in Sam's general direction which quickly got buried. _It's some sorta.. metal thing. Smells like aluminum, but it could also be tin or something._

 _It's a paperclip,_ Jared thought. _And it's got some kinda elaborate folds in it. Looks like a symbol or a sigil_ _or something._

 _Are we policing leeches that have office supplies on 'em now?_ Paul thought, stirring things up. _Maybe he was just into arts and crafts,_ he added, snorting.

 _It looks exactly like the one I found on a bloodsucker not 2 weeks ago, and_ another _bloodsucker 2 weeks before that._

_Exactly like it?_

_Exactly._

Leah trotted over to the discarded paperclip Jacob had tossed into the grass, sniffing at it. After marking the scent in her memory, she trotter back over to the Third, trying to match the scent to something on it. There were a few false alarms, but eventually a match was found close to the Third's calf. Sam appeared over Leah's shoulder, having broken his staring contest with Embry, and pawed the Third's brown shoes off. Inside, along with quite a bit of dust, was a paperclip folded in the same elaborate design as the one Jacob had found, and the one Jared claimed to find. It looked a little sloppy and imperfect when placed next to Jacob's, suggesting that the Third wasn't good with crafts, but the elaborateness couldn't be blinked away.

 _Probably the work of connected vampires,_ Paul thought. _We gotta prepare for the worst. We don't know how many people are in this group._

 _Does anyone know anything else about the design? Where it comes from? What it means?_ Leah asked. The consensus from the pack was a chorus of negatives.

 _The Cullens might know something,_ Seth offered. Before the pack could grumble and growl at his idea, Embry jumped in.

 _Found a paperclip in the leech's wallet._ Embry thought, spitting it out next to the others. Quil backed up a step, slightly disgusted. _All three must be connected to this group._

 _Does anyone have any alternatives to talking to the Cullens?_ Sam asked.

 _How about this,_ Paul thought, with an idea. _We have three wolves run four hour shifts for the next couple of days, hm? That way, more protection._

 _I think there are some flaws with your math there._ Jacob thought, annoyed. _Shorter shifts at a time, yeah, but longer amounts each day per wolf. We'd exhaust ourselves very quickly, and we might have nothing to worry about at all anyways. We should wait to see if more come._

 _Three groups in a month is more than enough evidence, Jacob._ Paul spat. As the bickering continued, Leah ignored them as best she could. Instead of getting involved in their arguing, she opted to search around the Third to see if there was any other evidence that could change anything. Identification, passport, even just a document that lets them know which language they spoke. While finding nothing strictly useful, Leah did find a lighter on them.

 _Yo!_ Leah cut through. _I found a lighter on this one. If you find anything that would be valuable to finding out who these asshats are -_

 _Were._ Paul interrupted proudly.

 _Who these asshats_ _were_ , Leah corrected, _it should be taken off before I light them up. A'ight?_ With the packs general sounds of approval, Leah phased back, testing the lighter a few times with her human hands to see if it still worked. She did so in much discomfort to the prying eyes of her entire pack, who she could only hope turned a blind eye. Turning around to check, she noticing some of the wolves were blatantly looking in the opposite direction, pretending to admire the surroundings. Other wolves were intensely focused on searching the bodies for something useful. She was thankful they had that much decency, if nothing else.

Turning the lighter over, Leah noticed that it had the same symbol carved on it. She figured Sam should at least know the symbol was engraved with precision into the side of the metal lighter. While Sam was intensely searching the Third, Leah tapped his shoulder, prompting him to bring his giant head around to face her. Leah had to admit, she did feel a tad intimidated by the giant pure black wolf who turned around to prod her with curious eyes. She almost felt afraid to say anything.

"The lighter," Leah said, directing his attention to the symbol on the fire-maker. He squinted slightly and examined it, recognizing the symbol. After a while, he gave a nod, which Leah interpreted as an "I understand and it's okay to use it". She waved her arms in a semicircle to ward off any lingering pack members, alerting them to steer clear. After the pack members had cleared the general area, she sent the Third up in flames, giving him a hasty cremation. Purple smoke filled the air and plowed upwards, filling the sky with it.

Leah broke her gaze with the burning body and glanced around the pack. None of them were looking in her direction, some of them making it painfully obvious. Paul was slightly shaking in physical irritation, and Quil was whining softly. She also noticed Seth's breathing stabilize, though it didn't mean his lungs or bones were completely healed by that point. Lastly, she noticed Embry, who was who was sniffing around the First for anything of use. Leah was especially fixated on the dark blood that was pouring out of his shoulder like Niagara Falls. Embry suddenly looked up, and Leah had to look away quickly and pretend she wasn't just staring at his wound. Instead, she looked at the purple clouds of smoke rising towards the skyline.

Soon after, Sam dropped the First below her and nodded, signaling that it's ready to be burned. _Figures that Sam brought it instead of Embry,_ Leah thought, setting the First up in flames. _Probably not gonna let Embry exert himself too much._ The First emit more smoke than the Third, for whatever reason. There was so much smoke that the two burning vampires combined into one stream of smoke after a few yards in the air.

Jacob dragged the Second over, dropping it at her feet and nodding once. Jacob smelled very deeply of sweat, Leah noticed. She hadn't watched their fight, but it lead her to assume he did the most action. Leah was almost glad when he walked away. She dragged the Second a few more feet as not to create a massive bonfire, and lit up the Second. It burned to a crisp and was unrecognizable in seconds flat. Not knowing what to do with the lighter, she trotted back over to Sam and balanced it on top of his head. He felt the cold metal very quickly, turning his large head to face Leah. He didn't look amused, but Leah wasn't deterred; she knew he was amused on the inside. Having burned the three offenders, she phased back to join them, letting the fires rage.

Surprisingly to Leah, apart from a few stray giggles from the lighter that was still on Sam's head, she phased into relative silence. A few straggled thoughts were present from unidentifiable sources, but they weren't readable. She couldn't tell what the consensus was on what course of action they were gonna take.

 _What's the verdict?_ Leah asked.

 _Looks like we're taking a day-trip to the Cullens._ Paul answered, sourly.

 _Is the entire pack gonna be needed?_ Leah questioned.

 _I don't see why not._ Paul replied.

 _Somehow I don't think Dr. Fang will take too kindly to 10 giant wolves rolling up to his door and interrogating him._ Leah argued.

 _Like I care what those leeches want._ Paul spat.

 _We should only take half. We'll come off less threatening that way, and two wolves can still patrol, and three don't have to be involved at all._ Leah offered.

 _Nah! We gotta show them the full force of our pack._ Paul retorted.

 _She's right,_ Sam broke through. _If we're asking them for a favor, we better not come off as a threat._ Paul growled, but didn't take it any further.

 _So who's on the Cullen day-trip roster? What's your lineup, coach?_ Paul asked bitterly.

 _If it's not too much trouble, I'd like_ you _to be on that roster, Paul._ Sam thought. Despite Paul's argument mere seconds before, he still offered him a position.

_Not interested._

_Always welcome._ Sam offered. _Other than Paul, I'll take.. Jacob, and Embry. Quil. And..._ Sam paused, in thought. The suspense was palpable. _Leah._

 _Why Quil?_ Paul criticized. _He's the least threatening member in this pack!_

 _That's a good thing with this particular meeting._ Sam replied, sighing.

_But -_

_Why do you always need to be arguing, Paul?_ Jared thought, annoyed. Paul merely growled and quieted.

 _As for the rest of you._ Sam started, addressing the pack members who wouldn't be going. _Stay phased and stay close._ With that, Sam started off back towards civilization, a small metal lighter still in between his ears on top of his head, with 9 werewolves following.

『••✎••』

 _You should take Jared instead of Embry._ Leah argued once in the woods. They were rather close to their homes now, so close that Collin and Brady had already passed theirs, phasing back to remind their mothers they were still alive. _Embry needs to see a doctor more than he needs to see some vampires. Jared's capable._

 _I'm going with you._ Embry insisted. _I'm injured, not crippled._

_Embry._

_Leah._

_You need to see a doctor. Your pain is driving us batshit insane. We still share a mind, you know._

_Let it go, Leah._ Sam thought gently. _He's unwavering._ Leah growled and grumbled, not arguing on the topic more. Embry smirked in victory.

They had arrived back towards the more populated parts of the reservation. Those selected to go to the Cullens would change into human clothes and regroup by Jacob's house, which was the closest pack member house to the Cullen territory. It wasn't by a lot, probably by less than a mile, but it would be a mile less of walking. Leah and Seth phased at their house, leaving the pack mind behind. There were still a few pack members who had to walk longer to get to their homes.

 _Adios, yo!_ Seth called out, phasing back. Thoughts of amusement filled the collective mind of the remaining pack members.

 _Your brother is something else, Leah._ Jared commented.

 _Tell me about it._ Leah agreed. _See you in a few._ Leah promised, phasing back. She caught up with Seth after a short walk and they traveled back to the Clearwater home together.

"Are you okay?" Leah asked once beside Seth. "I was worried sick about you. The way you were breathing? That's _not normal._ You should be more _careful -_ "

"I'm fine, Lee, I'm alright. It just hurt for a while," Seth said. Noticing Leah's immediate surge of worry, he quickly added, "but not anymore! Fine now!" Seth threw his hands up in an innocent gesture to prove his point.

"What did that snake do to you?"

"I dunno, stepped on my lungs or something? I didn't watch it."

"Seth. Promise you'll be more careful."

"Fighting vampires is dangerous. I'm not sure how to make it any less dangerous, sis," Seth said. Wanting to argue further, Leah didn't have the chance to as the Clearwater home came into view. They silently head up the back steps and into the house.

"Heymomwe'rehomecan'tstaylongbebacksoonloveyou!" Seth called, jogging up the stairs. He was already in his room with the door closed before Leah had even reached the top step. _Impressive._ Leah swerved into her own room, grabbing the first three things to fit her. She hardly cared that it didn't match. _I'm meeting a bunch of dead monsters, not the president._ She left her room after a mere 85 seconds of changing, waiting in the hallway for her brother to finish. Her mother was already waiting for her there.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?"

"Had to fight off three leeches."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Meeting some leeches."

"Did Jacob say anything to you?"

"Huh?"

"Jacob. You stormed off to his house earlier."

"Oh, right.." Leah conceded. It was easy to forget that the last time she saw Sue, she was swearing to tear Jacob to pieces for lying to Seth. Tirelessly fighting vampires is an easy way to forget things. "Jacob gave me some stupid excuse about Seth being a kid and I guess that gives him the right to lie to him or something," Leah grumbled, remembering what Jacob had said earlier in the day.

"Are you okay?"

"From?"

"Fighting."

"Oh, right.." Leah conceded again. _I'm totally clueless today._ "I'm not hurt," Leah told her mother. Leah then leaning closer and lowered her voice. "I think Seth is."

"What happened?" Sue asked in the same low volume tone.

"Bloodsucker stomped on his lungs, I think. He could hardly breathe for a while," Leah explained. Sue gasped, but suppressed it with her hand. Before Sue could ask any follow-up questions, Seth finally emerged from his cavern, wearing the trademark Quileute wolf pack attire. A sleeveless shirt with shorts. _It took him 5 minutes to put that on?_

"C'mon, sweetie, you're gonna catch a cold in that," Sue complained.

"I'll be fine, mom," Seth promised, advancing past Sue and down the stairs. Leah followed him, and Sue after that.

"At least put on a shirt with sleeves?" Sue pleaded.

"Sleeves are overrated, love you mom bye!" Seth called as he head out the door, with Leah close behind.

"Be safe!"

"Yep!" Leah called, turning right and heading towards the rendezvous at Jacob's house. Leah had been there just that morning. _Holy hell, this has been a long day._ Leah wasn't looking forward to seeing Chief Billy Black again, despite them making up from her yelling at him. Or, at least she _hoped_ they made up. It was kind of an unspoken ordeal if they did. The walk from the Clearwater house to the Black house was one of relative silence between Seth and Leah. Quil was already waiting for them there. Another face Leah was dreading to see. Jacob was next to him. As soon as he noticed Leah, he giggled and ran out to his front lawn to meet her.

"Did you put a lighter on top of Sam's head?" Jacob asked, snickering.

"Sure did," Leah said, as if it was a profound accomplishment. "What did he do with it?"

"He kept it," Jacob explained, half-laughing. "He couldn't hold it as a wolf, so he had to keep it on top of his head."

"Why would he keep it?" Leah asked.

"Had the symbol on it," Jacob explained, shrugging.

"It also calmed him down," Quil called out from the porch. The trio seemed surprised. Sensing their surprise, Quil elaborated. "It made him walk slower and keep his head still while walking. It made him feel better, especially after that battle. I was almost scared he was gonna claw me or something when I was in front of him right after."

"If you say so," Leah conceded. She somehow doubted it, but she couldn't deny that his wolf seemed more at ease in the pack mind on the way back. Soon after, Embry rolled up to the door, with Collin and Brady following about 30 feet behind. Embry had covered his injury as best he could, despite not wearing sleeves, similar to Seth and Quil. While Leah couldn't feel the pain anymore in the pack mind, she couldn't help but feel bad looking at his injury. Embry stopped on the railing alongside Quil, and Collin and Brady floated towards the outskirts. Sam came next, walking next to Jared, talking about something she couldn't decipher. Sam briefly stopped in front of Leah, taking the lighter out of his pocket and waving it a little.

"I'm keeping this," Sam declared. Leah only stuck her tongue out. He wasn't wearing sleeves either. If they weren't trying to appear threatening, they weren't doing a very good job at it, wearing clothes that distinctly display how abnormally strong and muscled they are. Leah wouldn't put it past them that they were just clueless, either. The Quileute boys weren't exactly known for their street smarts. _Figures. As if people need more reasons to assume that Sam leads a cult of teenagers who use steroids._

"Is everyone here?" Jacob asked.

"Save for Paul," Embry said, looking around.

"I wouldn't expect him to show up at all. He was pretty salty," Jared said. "Always gotta argue."

"Well, he's not coming with us anyways. We don't need to wait for him. If anyone happens to see him, tell him to phase and run perimeter with Jared's team," Sam said. "Jacob, Leah, Quil, _and Embry_ ," Sam started, still disappointed that Embry insisted on going, "you come with me. It's a clear shot to the Cullens through the woods. The rest of you, phase and follow me, and split off at the treaty line."

Sam's directions were simple enough, and nobody had trouble following them. Sam led those who would confront the Cullens through the path, and Jared led his team of patrollers to the border. Paul never did show up, so Jared's team consisted only of himself, Seth, Collin, and Brady. Sam carried the three paperclips in his pocket, handling them very carefully as not to bend them even slightly. The lighter was carved, so it wouldn't bend, in case the paperclips got bent beyond repair bouncing around in his pockets on the walk over. As the treaty line approached, Sam directed Jared's team to run either left or right and to stay within La Push's limits.

With the 5 humans that remained, Sam led them across the border and towards the Cullen mansion.

"Peaceful visit," Sam reminded. "Show no signs of aggression or violence or invasion."

The smell of vampire grew stronger until the trees trickled away and the estate of the Cullens came into view. The smell of vampire was almost intolerable by the time they reached the road that their house was on. With the smell of werewolf growing for the vampire inhabitants, it didn't take long for a small group of vampires to come out of the house and meet the pack on their lawn.

"Hello, guests," the voice of Carlisle Cullen greeted. He was flanked to the left by Emmett Cullen, and to the right by Jasper Hale. Standing behind Carlisle, barely visibly, was the frail Alice Cullen. "What brings you to these parts today?"

"Concerns," Sam answered.

"About what?" Carlisle asked, with the pack being able to sense him tensing up a little.

"A.. seemingly connected group of vampires that have been invading our property as of late."

"Is that so?"

"Most certainly so."

"Well, er- would you like to come inside so we can discuss it? We're quite familiar with various covens around the world," Carlisle assured, taking a conversation lead. Emmett and Jasper seemed only slightly interested, with Alice being hidden and unreadable. Jasper kept clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to control himself.

"Which is precisely why we came," Sam replied. "I don't think coming inside is necessary."

"If you insist."

"I have to say, I'm very unnerved by the way he's shaking," Sam said, gesturing to Jasper. Jasper was indeed shaking, and he seemed restless. Emmett moved to stand in between Jasper and Sam, with Alice taking Emmett's spot at Carlisle's left.

"It's because that one's bleeding," Emmett explained, pointing to Embry. "Don't think the smell of excessive blood went unnoticed."

"Yes, he is bleeding _rather_ heavily," Carlisle agreed. "If you'd like, I can patch you up inside with no problems."

"It'll heal," Embry scapegoated.

"Yes, it's true that werewolves can heal fast, but.. that cut looks too deep to heal within an hour or so."

"And I suppose you know more about my species than you do?"

"You'd be surprised," Carlisle said, smiling. "I find werewolves endlessly intriguing. I've done my research."

"Look, I'm not taking any medicine that comes from you," Embry spat.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle pleaded, frowning.

"Positive." Embry's response was almost immediate. Carlisle sighed, having no choice but to respect his decision.

"What's this group of vampires you spoke of?" Carlisle asked, changing the subject.

"We're not sure, but they seem to identify themselves with this symbol," Sam stated, handing Carlisle all three paperclips and the lighter. As Carlisle turned them over and examined them, Emmett shuffled Jasper inside, fearing he may attack Embry at any moment. Emmett and Jasper were replaced with Rosalie Hale and Esme Cullen, who assumed Emmett and Jasper's positions respectively, with Alice retreating to her hiding spot behind Carlisle once more. Rosalie scoffed audibly.

"What're the dogs doing on our property?" Rosalie asked to Carlisle.

"They're curious about a group of connected vampires who've been visiting the area recently," Carlisle explained, furring his eyebrows, not recognizing the symbols. Esme visibly relaxed, assuming what every Cullen assumed when they first showed up: they were there to pick a fight over the treaty. Hearing that it wasn't about the treaty was a big relief to Esme. "I can't say I recognize this symbol, Mr. Samuel."

"Just Sam."

"Just Sam," Carlisle corrected. "It's not a symbol I've seen before, but it may be what a coven I've never encountered uses to identify themselves. It could be of African origin."

"They're newborns," Quil added. "Or at least they fought like them."

"It could be a new coven," Carlisle theorized. "Same symbol, maybe the same person turned them. Sending them in waves following news of Victoria's tactics, and her fail with the 'all at once' method."

"Would word of the red-head's crusade spread so quickly?" Sam asked, doubtful.

"In a world of vampires and werewolves, anything is possible, I suppose," Carlisle shrugged. Sam didn't voice his dissatisfaction with how little they knew, but didn't voice it. Carlisle sensed his attitude and quickly theorized more. "They could also be Volturi recruits. The Volturi like to check on us sometimes," Carlisle expanded.

"Who're these.. Vul-toor-ie you speak of?" Sam asked. "The name sounds familiar."

"They're the ones who forced you to leave in a hurry after the newborn battle," Carlisle explained. "The ones who don't respect alliances with werewolves."

"Those jackasses? What could they possibly have to gain from sending a bunch of spies to their death in La Push?"

"I'm not sure," Carlisle lied. The Volturi would be checking if Bella is still human, Carlisle knew. He didn't want to remind Sam of that, though. He didn't want to audibly admit that the treaty was about to be compromised, even if both sides already assumed it. "I still don't know if this symbol belongs to them or not. I'll look into it. We have a few sources, a few binders cataloging known symbols of the covens. We made it ourselves, over the course of many centuries. If we happen to find this symbol in it, we'll contact you, and if not, we'll see what you can find in the meantime. If I may keep one of these?" Carlisle held up the Second's paperclip.

"Surely," Sam agreed. Carlisle pocketed it and gave the remaining two plus the lighter back to Sam. "If that'll be all then, we'll be leaving now," Sam announced, turning to walk away with the pack behind him. Carlisle considered whether he should say anything. They got through a confrontation without mentioning the treaty. He could leave well enough alone and consider it a victory.

But he knew that they had to talk about this sooner or later. The longer they hide and run, the worse it'll be when the pack blows it up in their face.

"Sam," Carlisle called out, causing the pack to turn around. "If it's at all possible, I'd like to.. speak with you at a later date. About.." Carlisle nervously and anxiously chose his words carefully. "Renegotiation."

The pack was enraged by the word alone. Leah, Jacob, and Embry approached the vampire clan threateningly. Jacob had his hands balled into fists and Embry was growling, despite being in human form. No doubt that the Embry-wolf was already pushing for something to happen. Sam and Quil exchanged a brief panicked glance before Sam took action, responsible for how the pack behaves on Cullen territory.

 **"Calm down and don't hit anyone,"** Sam ordered. Jacob involuntarily took a step back, Embry growled a tad quieter, and all three lost the desire to pound Carlisle's face into the dirt, even though they knew they should. Frail Alice looked a little scared by the crowd of Quileute's on her lawn that looked ready to split her like a piece of firewood.

"Fascinating," Carlisle mumbled, in relation to seeing the pack respond so instantly and obediently to Sam's command, despite clearly wanting to do the opposite.

"I'll _think about_ renegotiating the treaty," Sam allowed. "But I'm not making any promises. There are a lot of passionate feelings on both sides and a compromise is unlikely."

"I understand, but it'll need to happen soon," Carlisle said nervously. "It's - ahem - coming up on a deadline."

"Stop beating around the bush!" Embry snapped. "What do you take us for? Morons? Just say it straight! You're planning on turning Bella and you want to sneak a clause in the treaty that'll save your asses before you have rightful hellfire on yours hand!"

**"Embry. Cool it."**

Embry growled and turned away from Carlisle, angrily pacing in a circle around the pack and closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself.

"You can see how much unrest is in my pack brothers," Sam pointed out. "I hope you understand how dangerously close we are to a war between our groups."

"We understand," Esme said.

"You best be careful," Sam warned.

"To clarify, a renegotiation wouldn't involve your entire pack at once," Carlisle cleared. "It would only include the descendants of the original negotiators. That's.. you, Sam, and you, Jacob, and you," Carlisle said, pointing to Quil. "What would your name be?"

"None of your business," Embry spat.

 **"Embry."** Sam's command didn't go further than that, but Embry's wolf understood the message, quieting Embry down.

"Nonetheless," Carlisle began cautiously, "you're the Ateara."

"And you're a coward," Jacob growled. "You don't wanna face the entire pack at once. You're scared of us." Sam cut him off before an argument could break out.

"I'll take about the _possibility_ of a renegotiation with my pack, and the council of the elders in the tribe. I'm not making promises. Either way, you'll hear from us in a few days."

"I understand," Carlisle said, seeming satisfied with his answer. "And thank you."

"Are we done here?" Jacob asked both Sam and Carlisle. "I can hardly breathe anymore."

"Not unless your friend decides he would like some bandaging and medicine," Carlisle offered, "which I can do very easily for no charge, my present to you."

"I'm fine and I'll heal," Embry insisted, glaring. Carlisle sighed.

"I really do think you should get it checked out, whether by me or not," Carlisle recommended. "Just know that you can come here if you change your mind." As soon as Carlisle finished his offer, Emmett rejoined the Cullen clan outside and quietly asked Esme what was going on. Esme near-silently told him that she'd explain it once they were all inside. Without forewarning, Sam turned away from the vampires again and started off towards the woods.

"Pleasure doing business," Sam called out behind him, lightly satirically.

"Pleasure's all mine," Carlisle assured, turning back to the house and vanishing inside of it, with Alice, Esme, and Emmett close behind.

『••✎••』

"Can you believe that guy's nerve?" Jacob rhetorically asked to the pack on the walk back to La Push, thoroughly annoyed. "Trying to slip a caveat into the agreement to protect him before we can rightfully beat his ass for breaking his damn promise to our ancestors."

"I think most of us feel the same way," Sam agreed. "I'm upset, too. I promise I'm on your side. I'm not accepting _any_ compromise that puts the pack at a loss, even a small one."

"And if they want to be able to turn people? It's not technically a loss to us, per se, probably not to the spirit's definition," Jacob brought up, a tad salty. "We still have to protect Bella from those _things_ as long as she's human."

"Well aware, Jake," Sam asserted.

"What's our next course of action, in that case?"

"I'm thinking we should hold a bonfire for tomorrow night," Sam suggested. "Everyone in the pack can put their two cents in." Leah, Quil, Embry, and Jacob gave small noises of approval, letting Sam know that they were all down with the idea. The pack always got excited when Sam let them throw their opinions out there instead of Alpha-ing all the decisions by himself. Their wolves especially were glad that they were being listened to.

"Do we invite the Elders?" Quil asked.

"Surely," Sam allowed. "As for immediate courses of action, Embry, you _need_ medical attention."

"I'll heal, stop getting on my case!" Embry defended. "I'm fine!"

 _"Embry."_ Sam called strongly. "You're _not_ okay. Stop being stubborn. You're bleeding heavily and you need someone to look at that. Don't push yourself until it gets worse."

"It's not as bad as it was before!" Embry was highly defensive by this point. Sam instead turned to Leah, ignoring Embry's angered pleas.

"Do you think you could patch him up, Leah?" Sam requested. Embry's grunts were equally ignored by Sam.

"Why me?" Leah complained.

"You're the best at health and doctor stuff."

"Says who?"

"Well.. you had the highest grade in health all throughout high school, didn't you?" Sam reasoned.

"An A minus doesn't exactly make me a physician," Leah argued. "Besides, I dare say werewolf anatomy is different from human anatomy."

"Would you at least try?" Sam pleaded. "I'll push back your patrol by an hour if you do, so that you'll have more time to do a thorough job. You have nothing to worry about. _Pleeeease?"_ His eyes glistened in such a way when he said it that made him a very hard person to turn down. It reminded her of their relationship. It made her sad, and also another unidentifiable feeling slightly beyond sadness, and trespassing in the realm of emptiness and bittersweet nostalgia. She wondered if Sam had that same glint when he was watching her sleep at Jacob's house earlier that same morning. _I wonder if he also feels bad about it._

"Fine," Leah coughed out, not excited to be playing doctor on her annoying pack brother of all people. "I'll take him back to the Embry Abode." Embry grunted and kicked at the dirt.

"You're in good hands." Sam promised.

"Welp, I'm going back to La Push in that case," Jacob announced. Sam nodded. Quil was right behind Jacob as they disappeared into the forest in the vague direction of the reservation. Embry distanced himself from Leah, attempting to escape the potentially painful medical treatment she would give him. Sam didn't seem to notice Embry assuming Sam's far right while Leah remained to Sam's left. Neither wanted to be close to Sam, for different reasons.

"Well, Embry?"

"Well what?"

"You're going with Leah."

"Am not."

"Am _too,_ " Sam insisted.

 _"Make me!"_ Embry growled. He had to admit, he felt pretty dumb immediately after saying it. Sam turned to him and raised an eyebrow, solidifying in Embry's mind the idiocy of what he just said. _Of course he can just make me. Stupid Alpha shit._ "Fine," Embry forfeited quietly.

"You'll live," Sam assured. "And we're doing this to make sure of that."

"Hrmpf."

Not wanting to instigate an argument, Leah pulled on Embry's good arm in the direction of the Call residence. Embry dragged his feet in an attempt to slow Leah down, knowing it was useless because if he wouldn't go willfully, Sam would fire off an Alpha command to force him to. Still, Embry wasn't exactly eager to get going. Seeing them head off in the vague general direction, Sam phased in to cover Leah's patrol until she was finished with Embry.

"I'm trying my best," Leah promised. "Just try not to be a big baby."

『••✎••』

Leah and Embry hobbled through the woods, with Embry leaning on Lean for support. Despite being unable to walk unassisted for the most part, Embry still refused to acknowledge the severity of his injury. It would take his limbs being blown off in an explosion before Embry would admit that he's injured. _Stupid stubborn werewolf,_ Leah thought. It was easier to think of him that way. Alas, a faraway part of Leah's mind corrected her. _Stupid stubborn werewolf brother._ Leah almost audibly growled at being corrected by herself. She didn't like thinking of the pack as her brothers even though everyone agreed it to be the correct term.

"Gonna warn you now," Embry spoke as his home came into view when the duo entered his property, "my mother can be a little.. overprotective."

"Been there," Leah said, rolling her eyes remembering all of the way-too-motherly things Sue had done in the past. "Trust me, I'm not scared of Tiffany Call." Leah said bravely. She had seen her mother go to unbelievable lengths to assert her protection over her children, and Leah figured she had seen it all. There was nothing Tiffany Call could be that Leah hadn't seen before. Embry only chuckled darkly, opening his front door and hobbling inside. His mother was in view, and looking over, she dropped something on the floor that made a loud clang. Neither one could tell if something shattered or not.

 _"WHAT?!"_ Tiffany crossed the house in an instant. "What happened? What did you do to him?" Tiffany cast a worried glare to Embry, and an accusatory one to Leah.

_I may be a tiny bit scared of Tiffany Call._

Leah had to think fast to create a cover story, as neither could tell Tiffany that they were fighting off leeches like a game of tower defense. Tiffany wasn't in on the secret before or during Embry's first phase, so she was doomed to be left out of the secret unless there was an accident or an emergency. Collin and Brady were in the same boat, and he didn't want to look to them for advice.

"Embry was with Jacob working on something in his garage and Embry cut himself," Leah lied on the spot. Tiffany seemed suspicious.

"Cut himself on what?"

"Sawblade," Embry filled in, rolling with the fabricated story. "Mishandled it. Thought it was off."

"Don't they make noise?"

"This one doesn't."

"And you're sure a sawblade made that giant gash?" Tiffany asked, trying not to faint just by looking at it. Tiffany supported Embry's left side while Leah covered his right, supporting him while Leah looked for a place to set him down and Tiffany glared incredulously between Embry and Leah.

"I would know, mom."

"Would _you_ know, girl?" Tiffany accused, staring at Leah.

"I didn't see the injury," Leah replied, trying to weasel out of answering any more questions about the injury. "I was talking to Jacob on the other side of the garage."

"Jacob and you are extremely irresponsible," Tiffany spat. Leah rolled her eyes, figuring that if she doesn't say anything about the made up story, she didn't have to dodge any more verbal attacks. Leah realized how tired supporting her huge lug of a pack brother made her arm feel. Embry was already a big guy, and it didn't help that werewolf anatomy forced massive growth into the poor boys at rapid paces. Her arm in risk of dumping Embry on the floor at any second, Leah spoke up, changing the subject.

"Do you have anywhere we can set him down?" Leah asked, scanning the room.

"Set him down?" Tiffany scoffed. "We need to be taking him to the _doctor_. A _hospital!_ He needs to be in the _emergency room!"_

"I'll be fine, mom," Embry quickly mediated before his mother could list more places that they couldn't take the teenage werewolf. "I trust Leah."

"And if I don't?" Tiffany harshly whispered not-so-quietly. Leah deadpanned back at Tiffany.

"Just.." Embry coughed twice, struggling to stand. Leah fought to keep her hold on him, with his weight slowly crushing her. "Coffee table?" Embry suggested. Although frustrated, Tiffany couldn't fight him on it. Embry was dripping blood on the floor and she knew she didn't have the time to fight him on it. Swift as a shadow, Tiffany left Embry's side and cleared the coffee table by sweeping her arm across it and pushing all of its contents onto the floor. She could only hope nothing broke.

"All clear, bring him over!" Tiffany ordered. Leah and Embry hobbled over to now spotless table before easing him down on it. The table would support his weight, against all odds. Now that Embry was on the makeshift operating table, Leah was starting to panic. _Fuck am I supposed to do now?!_ Leah didn't have any medical training and she certainly didn't know how to clot a gaping hole in someone's shoulder, much less a shapeshifter's shoulder in front of someone who didn't know about that certain complication. _Looks like I'm gonna have to stick to conventional methods,_ Leah thought. _Unless.._

"Maybe you should go in the other room, Miss Call," Leah recommended. "I'm not sure you wanna watch this."

"I have every right to."

"Mom.." Embry spoke. It was the only word he said, though it encouraged Tiffany to leave the two alone with only a grumble. She disappeared into the kitchen searching for something Leah could use. Once she had left the room, Leah leaned close to Embry and reduced her voice to a harsh whisper.

"What the hell happened?" Leah whispered fiercely.

"Bitch had a sharp stick," Embry explained, matching Leah's tone. "Those newborns are crazy strong. Sliced me without a struggle. It isn't deep."

Before Leah could scold him, Tiffany reappeared in the room holding a roll of paper towels. She threw them at Leah, with Leah catching them with her enhanced senses.

"Thanks."

"I'm gonna try to find painkillers or medicine or something," Tiffany announced before running back into the kitchen. The sound of cabinets flying open and closed could be heard throughout the house. Glancing back at Embry, Leah noticed his shoulder was still bleeding. _His healing senses should have clotted that by now.._ Leah thought, internally worrying. _Is he.. dying?_ Leah shook her head trying to knock the thought out of her head. _He's just bleeding. It'll stop if it clots._ Leah concluded, looking around for something to clot it with. _I hope.._ Leah found a towel on the stairs and rushed to get it and bring it back.

"Everything okay in there?" Tiffany called from the other room, having gathered an assortment of potpourri pills and medicines on the table.

"As well as it can be," Leah responded, scanning the towel for the cleanest square inch of it. _Sucks that this towel is white.._ Leah thought dryly. Bunching the towel up as much as she could, she applied it to the cut and pressed as hard as she could before she knew it would start to hurt him either way. Embry choked out all sorts of strained noises of agony, trying to suppress it as much as he could. In an attempt to make as little noise as possible, Embry would ultimately fail and his voice contorted every time he tried. After a while, Leah removed the suppressant from his injured shoulder.

"It may have gotten infected," Leah told him. "I don't wanna risk pushing the infection further in. I'm gonna have to rinse it."

In a flash, Tiffany appeared at Leah's side with a bottle of water. Having been eavesdropping from the other room, the first sign of Leah mentioning she needed water to rinse the cut was met with an immediate reaction of getting water to her as fast as humanly possible. Leah flinched a little at having a water bottled shoved in her face, but she took the hint, unscrewing the new bottle and wasting no time turning it vertical and pouring water directly into the wound. Embry tried hard to suppress the pained whimpering and moaning from getting out, but failed, squirming and slightly flailing against the table.

"Gentle, gentle!" Tiffany pleaded. None of the three knew whether she was referring to Leah or Embry, and before Tiffany's brain could process an answer, she realized that Leah was right. She didn't want to watch. Without another word or a glance back at Embry, Tiffany sped into the kitchen close to tears deciding that the kitchen would be her fortress for waiting out the storm. She could only hope Leah had everything she needed.

With Embry's excessive flailing and restlessness against the operating table, Leah had to push him down with her free hand to keep him still against the table. Leah finally stopped pouring the water onto his cut, instead putting the half-empty bottle in his hand.

"Drink it."

"I'm not thirsty," Embry assured. His voice was hoarse after being crippled by the pain in his body.

"And I'm not playing game with you. _Drink it._ "

Embry begrudgingly took a few sips while Leah paced trying to think of what to do with him. The towel, which was rather rough and now soaked with blood, wouldn't work for clotting anymore. There wasn't much else she could do it with, especially not anything close-by. Embry set the bottle on the floor, causing Leah to look back him, more specifically at the hand that had gingerly placed the bottle on the floor. _Hand._

Leah looked at her own hands, turning them over. They looked clean enough. They would have to do.

Without warning him beforehand, Leah bound over to Embry and whispered a quick and quiet apology before shoving her palm over the wound, trapping the water and blood inside, hoping it would clot before it had the chance to resurface. Embry's previous pained whimpering turned to near shouts of agony and distress, his breathing immediately turning panicked and anxious. Embry had to be suppressed against the table to keep him from jumping off the table. His loud anguished yells were only interrupted by the occasional raspy cough that sounded when he struggled to breath from the stress. In addition to his injury, it was also clear he was having an anxiety attack due to Leah's surprise medieval-style medical practices. His yelling slowly yet quickly quieted altogether.

Having been focused entirely on the injury, Leah's reaction to hearing him quiet was delayed, and encouraged her to check on the rest of him. It was clear Embry had fallen unconscious. Leah sounded a disappointed yet sympathetic sigh, taking her hand off his gash. The cut was definitely clotted, but it was clear that it would need proper attention from someone with a degree at a later date. The hasty and rushed procedure Leah gave wouldn't last exceptionally long.

Leah parted from Embry and walked into the kitchen to wash her hands. Tiffany audibly gasped upon noticing her hand, but didn't say anything. Leah understood wholeheartedly. Leah washed her hands without Tiffany asking a single question. Only after she was done did Tiffany dare to speak.

"How i-is he?" Tiffany managed. Her voice was quiet and filled with maternal worry.

"Stable, I think," Leah diagnosed. "But unconscious." Tiffany wept a little but tried to hide it. A small silence set in before Leah broke it.

"Do you have any bandages or paper towels or the likes?"

"I don't have bandages or a cast or nothing, but you can help yourself to the paper towels," Tiffany allowed, gesturing to the roll. Leah had to take what she could get. Leah took the whole roll off the holder and head back into the other room. Seeing Embry unconscious on the table was disheartening, but she knew she had a job to finish. She didn't bother turning the light on, allowing the natural light of the setting sun flowing through the front window to be the only source of light. Leah wrapped a ton of paper towels around his shoulder, securing it all together with the Scotch tape she found in the pile of items Tiffany had brushed off the table.

Embry had been successfully patched up, and Leah knew she had Sam's stamp of approval. A job well done, more or less. While she was no longer obligated to stay, she found herself lingering and watching Embry for a few seconds instead of leaving. Leah advanced forward and knelt down to be closer to his head. She patted his abnormally warm forehead twice.

"Sorry," Leah whispered. Internally, her brain finished the sentence for her. _Sorry, brother._ She shook her head, standing up and heading towards the door.

Leah left the Call house without saying goodbye to Tiffany.


	7. Intentions

Leah's walk from the Call house back to her own was somber.

She couldn't help but think she had made things worse for Embry. Leah had to admit, she didn't really have an idea what she was doing. Leah was clueless. Absolutely clueless. Whether or not what she was doing was helping Embry, she didn't really know. Leah had assumed that the cries of pain and struggle were supposed to happen, that it was a sign that it was working. Now she wasn't so sure. _What if he's dead?_ Leah tried to immediate roll the thought out of her head. She would've stomped on it if she could. _He's not dead. Just unconscious._ Leah defended herself from her mind's onslaught. _Is that truly any better?_ _He passed out because whatever you were doing hurt him so much._ Leah hit the side of her head with her fist. _Shut up, dammit!_

Leah remembered the warmth in Embry's hand when she touched it after he fainted. _Do dead things do that, huh?_ Leah had assumed she had her mind cornered. She would have to accept that Embry was fine, but her subconscious wouldn't accept it. Leah's mind accepted the challenge. _Ones that are abnormally warm might, especially mere seconds after death._ Leah growled. The argument she was having with herself turned increasingly pessimistic and sour.

Leah didn't even realize she was almost home. Taking the shortcut through the woods got her from the Call home to the Clearwater home much faster than anticipated. Leah was thankful that she didn't have time to antagonize herself anymore, and the sight of Seth on her porch had never quite seemed so welcome. Her brother came out to meet her as soon as she was visible.

"How's Embry?" Seth asked once she was in earshot. The one question she didn't want to hear. The one question she was ill-prepared to answer.

"I did my best," Leah replied. That much she was sure of. "He should be okay." That much she wasn't.

"Good enough," Seth shrugged. "I trust ya, sis." Her brother started off ahead of her. In the midst of the stress of patching up her pack brother, she almost forgot that she was due for patrol as soon as she was done. Leah was already exhausted in every way possible, and there was no way she could run a patrol, even if it was a reduced patrol, courtesy of Sam. _There's also no way you're gonna keep this out of the pack mind,_ the voice in Leah's head bitterly reminded.

"Going out?" Sue called from the doorway, yanking Leah out of her thoughts.

"Just on patrol."

"Strange time to be starting patrol, eh?" Sue questioned. "Patrols usually start on even numbers, right?"

"Was delayed by a few," Seth explained.

"Alright," Sue allowed, still yelling across the yard. "Don't forget to drink water!"

With that, the two werewolves disappeared into the forest, phasing and heading to the edge of the La Push reservation.

 _How's Embry?_ Sam's immediate question rang through. She wondered how many times she would have to answer that question. _Just wonderin',_ Sam defended. Leah tried to formulate a sentence in her head about how Embry is to feed to Sam, before Sam cut her off after a few seconds. _Scratch that, not necessary anymore. Your memories are like an open book._ Leah grumbled, trying to protect her thoughts more.

 _Embry's fine,_ Leah thought sourly, answering Sam's question after it was deemed unnecessary. She wanted to feel like she was answering on her own will.

 _Thanks for the report._ Sam replied. _And thank you for helping out._

_Whatever._

_Come on, can ya give me something more than that?_ Sam sighed.

 _Nope._ Leah thought back. Sam grew noticeably sadder to hear her say that, and the Sam-wolf almost felt like whining. Sam certainly felt rejected, but he had to let it go.

 _Alright then,_ Sam replied. He was audibly strained and tired. _In that case, peace out._ Sam thought before phasing. Leah smirked a little. It wasn't something Sam usually said.

 _Are you sad, Lee?_ Seth thought a few seconds after Sam had cleared.

_What makes you say that?_

_I dunno, just your monosyllabic replies is all,_ Seth answered. _You do that when you're sad sometimes._

 _Well I'm not sad,_ Leah thought. She felt like she was lying to herself and Seth. _Just tired. This is the start of a double shift right after doing some makeshift medical work._ Seth didn't reply, at least not with distinct words. Leah could tell Seth's mindset was definitely not at ease. The Seth-wolf felt like whining. He was distantly worried and nervous, but hid it for the most part. Seth could tell Leah was lying when she said she was tired even without the pack mind. He simply knew her too well. Leah's mindset, on the other hand, was indeed tired, but also anxious, for different reasons. Leah still stressed about Embry, but only for a few seconds at a time before refocusing on the forest as not to tip Seth off.

A few minutes of shaky silence passed before a particularly loud and boisterous wolf entered the pack mind uninvited.

 _Hey, Leah._ The voice greeted immediately.

 _Jacob?_ Leah asked, startled and surprised. _What're you doing here? What's the trouble?_ At the first mention of trouble, Seth tensed up and rapidly sniffed around frantically.

 _No danger here,_ Seth declared in an excitedly rushed voice. _Anythingbyyou?_ His last sentence fused together in anticipation. Jacob merely snorted.

 _Easy,_ Jacob urged humorously, laughing. _There's no danger._

_Areyousure?_

**_Easy, kid._** Jacob repeated, still chuckling lightly, with it coming out as a Beta command without Jacob meaning to. Although it was an accident, Jacob didn't release him from it, causing Seth to relax slightly as the Seth-wolf was forced to stop looking for danger. Jacob smirked to remember the sheer influence his words could have over his pack brothers' actions. It was oddly pleasing to him to have the blind obedience of people he considered his de facto siblings. _I'm_ _just here to take Leah's spot on patrol._

 _Wha- huh?_ Leah stammered. _No. This is my patrol. Get your own._

_I had my own, and then you took it. Earlier today, remember? You took mine earlier today, so now I'm taking yours._

_I'm flattered,_ Leah thought flatly, before adopting a joking tone. _Are you sure you aren't only doing this to get one less hour?_

 _That may have been a factor,_ Jacob admit, grinning. _Along with a patrol-mate who doesn't usually bother me with intrusive thoughts._ Seth gave a wolfy smile that none of them could see, internally gleeful to have received the rare compliment from Jacob. _Usually._ Jacob added upon sensing Seth's happiness. _But over all, I want us to be even, Leah. You took my patrol, I take yours. It's only fair._

 _The point of favors is that they don't_ _have to be made back,_ Leah argued _. Don't bother. We're_ already _even._

 _Wouldya just shut it and lemme take your spot?_ Jacob asked.

 _No._ Leah thought boldly, unwavering. Seth subconsciously rechecked for danger. Jacob could only sigh, conceding.

 _Alright, stubborn Clearwater._ Jacob growled without aggression. _How's Embry, though?_

_Stable._

_And?_

_Alive._

_C'mon, Leah._

_He's fine, Jacob. Embry's healing, I promise._ Leah's memories vouched for her and Jacob had to accept her answer.

_And you're absolutely sure you don't want to switch patrol spots?_

_I'm absolutely sure,_ Leah replied confidently. _I got nowhere to be at midnight anyways._

 _Do you have anywhere to be tomorrow morning?_ Jacob asked, his thoughts sounding genuinely curious. Leah was taken off guard.

_No, why?_

_I believe I still owe you a bowl of cereal._

_Pro-poured,_ Leah reminisced. Seth checked for danger once more.

 _Relax, Seth,_ Jacob quietly urged, using his real name for once. _I would know if there's danger. Take it easy._

 _Mrf._ Seth sounded. Nobody quite knew what it meant, but since it wasn't truly a reply, Jacob responded to Leah instead.

 _Pro-poured,_ Jacob confirmed.

 _It's a date._ Leah thought, flattered. _Will that be all?_

_Uh - I guess so?_

_Are you suuure?_ Leah cleared her throat, hinting to Jacob that she's expecting something. Jacob had no idea what she wanted for a short period of time before realization dawned.

_Sorry about earlier, kid. Should've been more straight with ya._

_It's all cool, bro._

_Alright, I'm done now. G'bye,_ Jacob coughed out before receding from the pack mind with a phase. The pack mind was quiet for a few seconds after Jacob left.

 _I would've made you a pro-poured bowl of cereal too, y'know, sis,_ Seth reminded.

 _I know you would've, but Jacob offered first._ Leah defended. Seth whined uncomfortably. _Seth.._

_Hrm?_

_You can be a bit overprotective. You know that Jacob won't hurt me._

_Mhmm.._ Seth replied, twitching in discomfort.

 _Or is this about something else?_ Leah interrogated, causing Seth to whine again, louder than before. _You can also be a bit jealous at times._

 _Am not!_ Seth immediately rebutted, not stopping to think if it was true or not.

 _You are too. I'll be okay, little brother. You know that. This doesn't mean I suddenly like Jacob over you. Matter of fact, he still ranks near the bottom. I'm just meeting someone for breakfast._ Seth whined again, but didn't argue back. Leah could feel his uneasiness and tried to crack the tension with humor. _Besides, I've seen what your scrambled eggs look like, I'd hate to see the spill radius of you trying to pour cereal._

The two werewolves shared a laugh, but Leah could tell her brother was still troubled.

『••✎••』

_That's all she wrote._

_What?_

_That's all she wrote. It means 'that's it, nothing more to say or do'._

_Who says that, Seth?_

_I do._

_Why couldn't you have just said 'wow, I'm so sad patrol is done and I love being in the freezing rainy cold of La Push at midnight'?_ Leah quipped to her younger brother.

 _Because that's no fun._ Seth retorted. _And you don't learn any new phrases that way._

_Yeah, well I'll be sure to remember it in case I ever get on Jeopardy._

_Y'know Quil is trying?_

_Trying what?  
_

_To get on Jeopardy._

_Ha! Best of luck to the guy. Now hush up and phase back? Sam'll be here any second._

_Gotcha._ Seth phased by his designated changing tree and Leah was in quick pursuit. She had no desire to share head space with Sam Uley if she didn't have to. She ran her patrol until midnight, and a double shift at that, so anything past that and Leah would start demanding overtime. Leah changed in the small wooden circle she found in the forest. The air was too chilled for comfort and the breezes made her wish she left something with longer sleeves or more protection against the nighttime elements.

Leah met Seth about a quarter mile from their home at the designated rendezvous point, as they both changed separately to minimize awkwardness. She wondered if Sam or his partner had phased in yet. _Jared, maybe. Paul, could be._ Sam's partner was usually woken by Sam personally ten minutes to midnight, which always made for a fright at first which faded into annoyance. Leah felt lucky that she wasn't one of the two or three wolves that regularly ran midnight patrol.

"I'm here!" Seth called.

"Shhhh!" Leah replied instantly. "Your voice carries. It's after midnight."

"Oh yeah.." Seth allowed. Leah assumed his left side as they head back to their own house. The two walked in silence for a while. Leah wanted to say something, not caring if her voice carried like her brother's did, but couldn't think of anything. Seth looked mostly over what had happened, based on his expression. Leah didn't want to risk reactivating his protective brother side, so she allowed the uncomfortable silence to pass.

"You okay, Seth?" Leah risked. "You're usually a bit more.. _bouncy_ than this."

"'Course, sis," Seth said. "Surprised ya even had to ask it."

"I'm just checking," Leah assured. "You seem a little upset."

"Don't worry about it, a'ight?" Seth said. Leah wasn't moved by his answer. His phrasing made her suspicious because it made it seem like something was wrong. Leah only sighed, knowing that trying to wrestle Seth for information would be useless without the pack mind. Leah made a mental note of it to pester Seth at a later date.

As the Clearwater house came into view, Leah noticed something in the dark. Someone was on her porch. Seth was the second to notice, and as they drew closer, they could properly identify the figure that was tiredly pacing their porch in the dead of night. As soon as the figure saw them approaching, they launched themselves off the porch to meet up with them.

_"How's Em-"_

"Quil!" Leah scolded. "What're you _doing_ here? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"How's Embry?" Quil asked again hurriedly, his voice exhausted.

"How long have you been waiting on my porch? Have you slept at all? What if you're on midnight patrol and Sam doesn't know you're here? Why didn't you go to Embry's directly?" Leah flooded Quil with a wave of questions he couldn't possibly answer all at once. By her last question, Quil had already forgotten what the first one was.

"Sam used his dumb Alpha voice so that I _couldn't_ see Embry until you said he was okay," Quil explained. Despite his sour words, there was no sour tone to match it. Leah could assume why Sam did it. _He didn't want Quil to see his best friend in critical condition. Would've traumatized a fragile guy like Quil._ Leah looked around nervously at the realization. _Tough love._ While looking around, Leah noticed an empty, crushed juice box on her porch steps, which would imply that Sue knew he was there and brought him something to drink.

"Sam got off patrol hours ago, Quil," Seth reminded. "He was aware of Embry's condition by the time he phased."

"Guess that means he just forgot about you?" Leah said, half amused, connecting the dots. Quil had no rebuttal.

"Guess so.." Quil mumbled, turning away from the sibling pair and slowly walking away from them. Leah could tell he was upset and was struggling not to show it. She tried to change the subject before she had to endure seeing an upset Quil again. Unable to think of anything, Seth beat her to the punch.

"D'you wanna spend the night, bro?"

"Huh?" Quil was still dazed from tiredness.

"Stay the night," Leah offered. "You can have our lovely floor. You must be exhausted, you've been waiting here for what, hours?"

"I dun-" Quil started, but yawned largely, followed near instantly by Seth, and then Leah. If yawning was contagious for _regular_ humans, it spread faster than photons in werewolves attached at the brain.

"Well?" Leah rushed.

"Alright," Quil gave in, taking up her offer. He trailed Leah and Seth inside, albeit quietly because of the time. Leah and Seth moved with quiet elegance, while Quil crept slowly and carefully, not knowing which floorboards made the loudest noises whereas Leah and Seth did, having lived there. Quil winced every time he landed on a particularly loud one. The trio grouped in the kitchen around the small island. Seth set his head down on it.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it upstairs, Lee," Seth predicted quietly.

"You can keep an eye on Quil," Leah said, pausing a few seconds before adding a caveat. "After you brush your teeth."

"Urgh, you're such a sister," Seth tiredly complained.

"Damn straight, and cavities are painful. Remember when you had to get three filled at one time because you never brushed your teeth?"

"That was a long _time_ ago-" Seth whined.

"Wouldya just do it, Seth?" Leah encouraged. Seth grumbled, whined, and complained, though eventually got up and bounded off, leaving Leah and Quil alone together. Leah led Quil back to the living room, and set him up on the floor in front of the couch.

"Just as a reminder, you're _allowed_ to have a bed. Or a couch, at the very least."

"I'll be alright," Quil assured. "Besides, I think Seth already claimed the couch. I don't wanna make 'im carry himself upstairs when he could hardly carry himself down the hall."

"I'll carry him if you want the couch," Leah offered. She hoped he didn't take that offer considering Seth's weight, but she was also desperate to do anything to make it up to Quil.

"I'll be okay, Leah," Quil assured again. He evidently still a little upset from earlier, but before Leah could say anything, Seth returned.

"Was that two minutes?" Leah interrogated.

"You sound like mom, sis," Seth groaned.

"Pardon my love for me baby brother," Leah defended. Seth silently offered Quil the couch, and collapsed on it after Quil turned it down. Seth was asleep in 15 seconds flat. Leah could tell the exact moment it happened by the way his hand fell off the edge of the couch when he was no longer conscious to support it.

"That was fast," Quil commented, lowering his voice as not to wake him. Leah set Quil up on the floor next to the couch, happy that Quil wouldn't be alone for the night and that he had Seth to keep him company. _Maybe they can tell ghost stories or whatever it is brothers do at night._ Leah grunted a little, annoyed with herself for referring to them as brothers. _Seth is_ my _brother, dammit._

Seth stirred uneasily on the couch, roping Leah back to what was in front of her. Quil was quick to gently grab hold of Seth's hand, giving him a connection. Seth quieted and stilled shortly after, prompting a small, genuine smile from Quil. Leah was happy to see him smile instead of frown for the first time in quite a while. Alas, his smile reminded her of what made him sad in the first place.

"Quil, listen to me," Leah said harshly yet gently. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't have done it."

"I take responsibility," Quil replied, waving her off. "I should've left you alone. I thought we settled this.."

"We didn't settle _any_ _thing_ , Quil," Leah affirmed. "It was wrong for me to violently push you off."

"I should've left you alone," Quil mumbled.

"You were just looking out," Leah defended. Quil was silent, looking down. Leah grumbled. _I hate apologizing._

"I could've risked making things worse, too," Quil countered.

"Shut up, damn you!" Leah fiercely whispered. "I'm not listening to you blame yourself for being too nice anymore!"

Seth sleepily whined and stirred to Leah's quiet commotion, well audible to werewolf ears, especially Seth's. Quil was fast to reconnect his hand, causing the stirring to stop almost on impact, although his troubled expression remained. Leah noticed her brother's uneasiness, but pushed on despite it.

"You've been avoiding me," Leah brought up. "I've seen it."

"Nuh-uh," Quil instantly rebutted. Leah groaned.

"Why do you always gotta play dumb? I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"I'm not."

"Start acting like it."

It was quiet after that. Quil didn't want to reply, and Leah wouldn't hear any more. _Stupid stubborn Ateara._ Leah forced herself to start choosing different words to describe her packmates so that her brain doesn't fill in the blanks by calling them her brothers. Leah didn't buy that Quil wasn't afraid of her. His accelerated heart rate gave it away if his eyes didn't. She already knew all of Quil's nervous habits. She learned them rather young, when the reservations youth had nobody better to play with then each other.

_He always was a terrible kickball pitcher._

_Every roll was practically a foul ball by default. Most every pitch was returned to him as a ball, and nobody could even count the number of times the opposing team got a free walk. The issue with Quil was that he couldn't hold onto a ball for the life of him, so he was always positioned in the least likely spot to be kicked to: the pitcher's mound. He pitched as best he could and everyone did their best until they couldn't. Quil was much too nervous and let his opponents get to his head too often. Covering third base, it was easy for Leah to observe Quil without him knowing she was._

_"C'mon, Quil, s'a straight line! S'not partic'larly hard."_

_Quil was nervous. Leah could tell. She wasn't blind, especially not with her focus so sharp. She saw him adjust uncomfortably, and scratch at his hand with his other free one, before picking up the ball and shifting in discomfort more. He was moving as if he was terribly hot or itchy. Eventually after an eternity of Quil stalling to save himself the embarrassment of getting chastised, he would pitch the ball and it would likely bounce all jagged across the ground and be too high to kick, or too far away from home plate. The ball would be returned to him by a catcher who grew more and more annoyed, and Quil would repeat the process surrounded by increasingly antsy fourth graders._

_Quil did it every time. Run his nails across his hand, restlessly look around the environment with a worried expression, and slightly shake as if he was terrible itchy. Leah had his mannerisms memorized. She had watched him from third base enough times to be sure. She was professionally trained to spot a nervous Quil from outer space._

_Leah knew what a nervous Quil Ateara V looked like._

He still looked like the innocent child who was a notably poor kickball pitcher. Before he had to deal with the death of his father or the waking of his enormous inner wolf. Leah could still see that young boy in his face even while he was sitting up against her couch on her floor after midnight.

He had been showing all the signs she had mentally recorded from her days as a La Push kickball champion. _Scratching his hand._ He had done it that night in the forest minutes before she yelled at him. _The restless side-glancing._ He had done that when Embry asked to use their landline. _The on-edge movements._ Quil had done it every day around her since the day in the forest.

All the signs were there.

Quil was nervous around her.

_And it can only mean he's scared of you._

Leah didn't want to fight him any more that night. Instead, she added a mental note to be a better person to Quil and try not to make him cry anymore.

\- Pester Seth for information.  
\- Be friendlier to Quil and don't yell at him until he cries anymore.

The two had been silent for a while, and they would stay silent while Leah was deep in thought. Leah absentmindedly glanced back at Quil, who she noticed was propped against the couch the same way Jacob was the night before. Upon closer inspection, Leah also noticed his eyes were closed. His hand was still on top of Seth's, both were on the ground. She never noticed how low the couch was until that moment. That, or Seth had unusually long arms, which Leah also knew was a possibility. The werewolf connection was keeping them both mentally calmer by a small, though measurable, amount. Leah wondered if Jacob would've held her hand like that if she had gotten on the couch the night before.

Leah shook the thought off, amused that she was even capable of thinking it. Leah considered going to bed in her own room, but opted to stay. She would rather stay where she could keep an eye on the boys. She also had an underlying mission to see if her floor really _was_ as comfortable as Quil claimed it was.

Leah fell asleep after a particularly long day.

『••✎••』

There was a rustling. A not-so-quiet rustling that woke Leah up a few seconds after it started.

Leah blinked the drowsiness out of her eyes and glanced around groggily to locate the source. The source she found was the oversized slab of fragile emotions masquerading as her teenage pack brother making what Leah considered to be too much noise. Leah caught him halfway through slowly standing up, him eyeing her very carefully, as if he was scared of waking her.

"What are you doing?" Leah asked quietly.

"Trying to get up without waking you up," Quil answered equally quietly.

"Looks like Quil Ateara V is getting no points this round."

"Hey, I only woke _you_ up. Gimme half those points back, I can still make it up without waking your brother."

"No fair, he sleeps like a rock," Leah quietly complained. She noticed that Quil had shaken Seth's hand off without waking him. Ever so slowly, Quil eventually stood all the way up and stretched, only for his shadow to cast across Seth's closed eyes. Disrupted and disturbed by the sudden change of light, Seth sleepily squinted, stirring somewhat violently before blinking himself away.

"Huh-" he sputtered out, looking around.

"Well, there go your remaining points. I'd like to thank you so much for playing," Leah said, giving a golf clap. Seth prodded both Leah and Quil for information with his eyes, very curious as to what was going on. "Don't worry about it, Seth," Leah added upon noticing. She dragged herself up shortly afterward, watching Quil walk around the room. Seth got up next.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Around 7:30," Quil replied. "Gotta go pick up the patrol schedule from Sam's, I'm already 90 minutes late."

"Wait just a second," Leah requested, coming close enough to him where whispering would go unheard by Seth. "We never cleared the air last night."

"I know," Quil said. "We don't have to. Everything's fine." Before Leah could argue, Seth interrupted.

"Who's on patrol right here right now?" Seth questioned. "I hope it's not us.. Sam'll be hopping mad if it is."

"Nah, bro," Quil assured. "I think Collin and Brady are taking early shift today. The 6 to 9 slot."

"Oh yeah," Seth remembered. Leah felt out of the loop.

"Why aren't they taking their normal 3pm to 6pm shift?" Leah asked, dryly curious.

"Not sure," Quil shrugged.

"I think I heard something about a classmate's birthday party..?" Seth filled in before adding a disclaimer. "I could be wrong though."

"Welp," Quil broke through, taking a singular slice of bread from the Clearwater kitchen. "I'm gone. Seeya later."

"Seeya!" Seth enthusiastically bid Quil goodbye. Leah grunted as a parting sign, almost annoyed by her brother's contagious happiness. Leah was annoyed that she didn't properly make up with Quil. It felt messy and it didn't sit right with Leah. She wouldn't have peace of mind on the subject until things felt clearer. A distraction offered itself in her head. _Jacob._

"Jacob.." Leah audibly reminisced. "I've gotta meet Jacob for breakfast this morning."

"Oh," Seth mumbled, remembering as well.

"I don't know what time he wanted me there by.. so I guess I'll just go now?" Leah thought out loud. Seth gave a small whine he didn't intend Leah to hear, but she did anyways. Leah sighed and captured Seth in a hug. "I'll be safe," she promised. "Jacob probably won't poison my cereal." Seth squirmed in her hug, seemingly uncomfortable. _What's his problem?_ Leah asked internally. _I'll figure out soon._ Seth sneezes over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Seth apologized. "Can hardly breathe this morning."

"You're probably having seasonal allergies," Leah diagnosed, searching around for something to give him. Her protective sister side was almost as strong as Seth's protective brother side. _Almost._

"Maybe," Seth agreed. Without confirming any symptoms other than a stray sneeze, Leah located cold medicine and measured out a few milliliters worth.

"Drink it."

"I said _maybe_."

"Maybe isn't no."

"Well, I'm making it a no now," Seth argued, backing a step away from her.

"Just choke it down, Sethseth."

"S'cheating."

"Hey," Leah argued. "What did I say?"

"Yeah yeah," Seth said, rolling his eyes, taking the medicine cup from her. "Strategic and resourceful."

"Precisely," Leah confirmed. Seth downed the entire cup, and Leah grinned. It was usually a morning's long battle to get Seth to take medicine of any kind. Leah wondered if he even realized what he was doing while he was parroting what she had said the day before. Analyzing the bottle, she realized that one of the side effects was drowsiness. She suddenly felt guilty for not reading the label before feeding it to him so early in the morning.

Leah started off towards the door.

"Tell mom I'll be back," she called before leaving.

It was the third time in 2 days she was heading towards the Black house. _Wonder how much more until I can mark it as my second address on my license._ She wasn't even off her property before her thoughts were already all over the place. What was bothering Seth? What was bothering Quil? Why didn't Quil want an apology? He did deserve one, didn't he? Was Leah in the wrong after all?

She tried to break down everything she knew about all the issues, starting with what came first on her list. Seth. He seemed against her going to Jacob's. Did he know something she didn't? Was he just jealous? She had never known Seth to get like that before. Leah wondered if Seth had some sort of emotional turmoil he didn't tell anyone about. Without much evidence to work with, she moved on to the issue of Quil. The person she made cry when he did her a favor. It bothered her just how much she was worked up over it. She had never given Quil a second thought before that day. She had him filed away as "Jacob's friend, big baby, nauseatingly happy and a terrible kickball pitcher". There was something else that tore at her every time any one of her pack members came up.

 _They aren't my brothers by blood. It isn't right to think of them that way. It's not accurate._ Leah argued. _They. Aren't. Your. Brothers._ Leah grumbled as her mind fought her.

_Aren't they, though?_

"Leah!"

_Don't say anything don't say anything don't say anything._

"Leah, over here!"

_Dammit._

"Hello, Emily," Leah greeted hastily, not stopping to talk to her. She kept walking towards the Black house with only a short glance in her direction. Emily trailed her.

"How've you been?"

"Fine."

"Where are you heading so early in the morning?"

"Jacob's."

"What might you be doing over there? I thought you didn't like him much," Emily brought up. She was desperate to get more than a one-word answer from the indifferent Leah.

"He invited me."

"No kidding! What'd he invite you there for?"

"Breakfast."

"Coolio! Is he a good cook? Can he make breakfast well? I hear he can't fry an egg."

"There'll be no eggs."

"Oh, thanks for clarifying."

A severely awkward silence fell on the two. Emily searched every crevice of her mind to keep the conversation with Leah going. It was bad enough she had lost her best friend, it sliced at Emily even more for Leah to pretend they were never friends. Emily was trying her best to revive their friendship, and here Leah was pretending as if she was a stranger behind her in the grocery store line trying to make small talk. It wasn't long before a pair of Quileute teens would cross their path heading in the opposite direction.

"Sam!" Emily called excitedly, forgetting that Leah was standing beside her. Emily ran to Sam, who was accompanied by Quil. Leah noticed the look of love and admiration in Sam's eyes when he noticed Emily, even from a distance. _He's never looked at me like that._ Quil noticed the agony on Leah's face before Leah did, and thought of something to distract her from the happy couple.

"Hey, Leah," Quil excitedly said, bounding over her. "I got us the patrol schedule!"

"Cool," Leah said disinterestedly, watching as Emily pulled Sam into a small hug; a notion which Sam doesn't resist in the slightest. Quil shoved the index card in her face to forcibly pull her attention away.

"Lookie!" Quil exclaimed in a hushed voice.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Jared  
6am - 9am / Collin, Brady  
9am - 3pm / Leah, Seth  
3pm - 6pm / Paul, Quil_

Leah skimmed the patrol schedule very briefly and returned her attention back to Sam and Emily. Her face burned up to watch the two. Quil didn't let her watch long, dragging her a few feet away before doofily rambling about the patrol schedule to drown out Sam and his imprint.

"Y'see how nobody's on patrol after 6?" Quil asked. "We're having the bonfire tonight so nobody has to patrol. That way everyone can come!"

"Wow." Leah replied flatly, feigning interest. _Thank God Quil is such a kindhearted dope._ Despite Quil's best efforts, his display wasn't enough to pull Leah's attention away from Sam and Emily's moment. It made her strangely jealous to be with Sam and Emily at the same time. It triggered her fight or flight response, because she knew that if she was close to both of them at the same time, it could only mean they were being all imprint-y and that usually made it painful for Leah to even be near. She felt her heart sizzling as she watched the pair out of the corner of her eye. Quil was still rambling about the patrol schedule, but Leah wasn't comprehending anything he was saying. She was merely thankful for the background noise. She didn't even know if she was cutting him off mid-sentence when she spoke.

"Thanks for the info," Leah thanked. "I'm heading to Jacob's."

Sam and Emily didn't so as much as look up to show that they heard her. She probably could've said anything at that moment and they wouldn't have reacted. Imprint magic was strong with those two. It ate at her like hungry raccoons to see them act like that.

"Well, uh - have fun!" Quil bid farewell. Leah didn't go immediately, though. She lingered for a few seconds to wait for an acknowledgement or notice or even _approval_ from Sam, the thought of which killed Leah even more. The idea that she was waiting for Sam's _permission_ to leave the blamed the feeling on some sort of build-in werewolf programming to listen to their Alpha.

An acknowledgement from Sam never came. Leah left the area without one.

『••✎••』

Leah was an expert at navigating to the Black house by now. She readied herself for her second breakfast at the Blacks in a row.

By the time Leah approached from the street, Jacob was already on the porch with his father. They seemed to be talking about something, but Leah couldn't decipher what it was about. She could tell her name wasn't being spoken, but nothing else could be written in stone. All she could confirm was that they weren't angry nor were they yelling, so that was a good sign. Their conversation was cut short when Billy noticed Leah. She still felt awkward around Billy, but he greeted her jovially anyway.

"Ms. Clearwater, what a surprise."

"You didn't tell him?" Leah asked to Jacob.

"Forgot to," he shrugged, inviting her inside. She strolled past Billy without making eye contact, hoping he wouldn't follow them inside. Leah didn't hear any wheels rolling across the hard ground, so she took it as a good sign for her cause.

"Well, blow me away with your pouring, master cereal pourer," Leah requested. "Extra masterful, if you please."

"Surely," was Jacob's reply. He took out a box of cereal from a place Leah didn't quite see, seemingly pulling the box out of thin air. The cereal was store brand, leading Leah to assume either they didn't have the extra dollar for the brand stuff, or Billy was super oldschool. She considered both equally likely. He took a bowl out next, which Leah saw him hastily cut out of the plastic stack. He set the bowl down on the counter before picking the box back up and crouching down to put the bowl at eye level. Slowly, he poured the cereal into the bowl. Leah raised an eyebrow at the dramatic theater Jacob was putting on, turning a mundane task into something twice as idiotic. Eventually, Jacob stood up and presented Leah with the bowl.

"Masterful," Leah complimented, taking the bowl from him. "Truly exquisite pouring."

"I'm no liar," Jacob promised, putting the box in the cupboard under the sink. _Is that where he keeps it?_ Leah asked herself, shocked. "We're outta milk so you're gonna have to eat it dry."

"Figures," Leah mumbled. A short silence followed, with Leah eating her cereal in a small silence while Jacob leaned against the counter and watched her, having already eaten. A solid 10 seconds had passed before Jacob tried his hand at making small talk.

"Will you be at the bonfire tonight?"

"'Course," Leah answered, furring her eyebrows as if it was a stupid question. "Everyone's gonna be there."

"Well yeah, everyone's welcome to come, but Sam isn't sure how many, exactly," Jacob explained. "He wants us to pass on that everyone who's in on the secret is welcome to come, be it a werewolf, a council member, or an imprint." Leah grumbled at the mention of imprinting. Jacob chuckled darkly upon noticing her resentment towards it.

"I dunno, how much could an imprint add to this discussion?"

"Not sure. Sam wants as many opinions as possible because nobody is sure. It'll probably be a pretty heated debate; no one in La Push has a clue what to do about Bella."

"How _are_ you holding up with Bella?" Leah asked.

"Cut down a tree last night," Jacob admit. "Small one. Fit of rage. It wasn't during my patrol, but whoever _was_ on patrol kept their big mouth shut about it. Or.. snout, rather." Leah sighed.

"You gotta learn some better coping mechanisms one of these days," Leah affirmed. Jacob's wolf took offense to that notion, causing Jacob to grow instinctively defensive.

"Do not," Jacob said.

"Tearing down trees and destroying the Earth isn't a good way to deal with anger."

"Then what is?!"

"I don't know, figure it out!"

Leah angrily ate her cereal when Jacob didn't reply. She was suddenly in a hurry to finish her breakfast and leave the property as fast as possible. Leah was reminded of why she used to avoid Jacob in the first place: he was annoying, aggressive, and made her angry on a regular basis. She wasn't aware how much time had passed before she heard Jacob's voice again, though softer this time.

"Sorry," he apologized quietly. He had apologized to her twice now. After years and years of Jacob never apologizing to her, she had gotten her second Jacob apology in the span of two days. It was genuine, and she had to accept it. Leah started to consider whether Jacob had changed during his time spent as a wolf.

_Or maybe there's always been more sides to Jacob Black than I've properly seen._

Only then did Leah realize that her bowl was empty and she finished her cereal. She put the bowl in the sink and turned back to her host.

"Thanks for the cereal," Leah offered.

"Anytime," Jacob said. As she turned to head out his door, he called, "hold on a sec?"

"Yeah?"

"If you see Quil, could ya send him over to Embry's house?"

"Uh.." Leah considered whether it was worth it.

"It's okay if you can't, I can try calling him-"

"No, it's fine. I'll do it if you can tell me how Embry is the next time you see me," she replied regardless.

"You got it."

"I'll see you at the bonfire," Leah said before leaving. She mumbled a goodbye to Billy on the way down the stairs.

『••✎••』

The basketball was still where Embry had left it.

It had small amounts of dust on it, having been untouched for the better part of 2 days. Jacob retrieved the basketball, brushed it off haphazardly, and tucked it under his arm. He traveled downstairs and out of his house, passing Billy on the porch.

"I'll be back later," Jacob announced while strolling by. Even though Jacob was still legally a minor, he no longer felt the need to ask for his dad's permission to go anywhere.

"Be safe," Billy cautioned.

Jacob dribbled the basketball all the way to Embry's house. It wasn't a long walk, but he was able to dribble it close to 200 times before the Call home rose from the ground and into his field of view from over the hill. As he approached the house, Jacob noticed Quil coming from the opposite direction. Jacob wondered if Leah had really found him that fast, or if Quil was already on his way over. _Unless Leah is some sort of speedy superhero, I think Quil was already coming._

"Ay, Quil, just the guy I'm looking for," Jacob called, changing route from Embry's door to the steps right in front of it to meet up with his childhood friend. Quil walked forward rather tentatively, adopting a slightly nervous expression.

"You sure?" Quil asked. "If you're not in the mood to see me, I can come back later," Quil added quietly. He was almost mumbling, afraid of what Jacob's reaction would be if he heard it. With his enhanced werewolf hearing, Jacob hear him loud and clear. "I'd understand if you don't want me here.."

Jacob was confused at first. _What's up with Quil?_ Jacob couldn't decipher what Quil was talking about. Jacob was always in the mood to see one of his best friends. Everyone was always in the mood to see Quil.

_Except you, the night of the wedding, bimbo._

Jacob winced in realization. Quil was alluding to what Jacob had told him minutes after being torn apart from Bella at her wedding, about not being in the mood to see him. Jacob would forget he thought it almost instantly, but Quil would remember. Only now did Jacob see how much his passing thoughts could affect a sensitive loaf like Quil.

"Right, right.." Jacob verbalized to show he caught Quil's drift. "Look, what I said that night was just.. banter, I guess you could call it. I was mad about something else and you were kinda annoying me."

"I was just worried about you."

"I know you were. But my wolf is.. less forgiving, y'know?"

"I guess.."

"See?" Jacob bounce-passed the basketball to him, which Quil caught. He still didn't look up nor smile. "C'mon, Ateara."

"I just wanted to help.." Quil answered, barely audible. Jacob secured Quil in a hug, with the latter dropping the basketball and allowing it to roll a few meters.

"I know you were."

The duo stayed silent for a few seconds after before the bro code required them to break their hug before it reached the universal limit of 5 seconds. Jacob and Quil shared a short fist bump before Quil retrieved the basketball and started for the steps. The pair of Quileute teenagers were intercepted before they could get inside.

"What're you two doing here?" Tiffany Call asked, scowling noticeably at Jacob especially.

"Checking on Embry," Jacob answered. Tiffany scanned them extensively with her eyes before turning 90 degrees and allowing them to walk past her and into the house, not bothering to leave the doorway to make it easier for them.

"Some friend you are," Tiffany spat. "How considerate of you to check on Embry after letting him slice his shoulder. You should have been more responsible."

"Huh?" Jacob stuttered, confused. Embry jumped to his defense from the couch.

"Jac-" was Embry's first fragment, surprised and happy to see Jacob, before remembering he needed to bail Jacob out of an explanation. "O-oh yeah, sorry about that. It was my fault, really. I was the one who mishandled the sawblade." Jacob squinted in confusion at first before he remembered that since Tiffany wasn't in on the secret, it was likely that Leah and Embry made up some story to how he got his injury. _Cut on a sawblade? That's the best they could do? You'd have to hold that thing at a very specific angle to get a cut like that, especially when -_

"He wasn't helping you," Tiffany harshly whispered. "You could've died!" Embry rolled his eyes, motioning for Jacob and Quil to come closer. The two did so, bounding closer to Embry and settling down within whispering distance in case they needed to share pack secrets safe from Tiffany's eavesdropping. Embry's shoulder was wrapped about 4 times over in some sort of homemade bandage creation, which Jacob thought was overkill. He had several blankets on top of him. He had an equal chance of succumbing to his injuries as he did dying of heat stroke. Quil handed his basketball back to Embry.

"You know the deal, Jake," Embry reminded. "We get to ask anything we want, and you gotta tell us straight."

"Alright, alright," Jacob threw his hands up, submitting to Embry's interrogation. "Anything. Why I left, came back, what happened while I was gone, the whole 9 yards." Embry and Quil shared a quick glance, and Embry followed it up with a fast nod, letting Quil know he could ask the first question.

"Why did you leave us?"

"Right outta the gate, knew this one was coming.." Jacob stalled. "I guess it's because.. I was hurt. It's hard to explain, really.. seeing that invitation to that bloodsucker's wedding? I knew what it stood for, what it meant. Everything had been for nothing between me and Bella. It was soul-crushing in a way, and before I even got through reading it, I had this incredible urge to phase. It was like nothin' I ever felt before. It was too hard to stay human, I just had to do it, y'know? And.. after a few minutes, I knew I never wanted to phase back. The pain was so much easier as a wolf, because I didn't have to think about all that heavy human stuff.. so, why did I leave? Well, it hurt too much to stay," Jacob finished. He could only hope his ramblings made sense. Thankfully, both Quil and Embry slowly nodded in understanding.

"Were you ignoring us when we were talking in the pack mind?" Embry asked.

"I heard you," Jacob confirmed. "My wolf just didn't want to answer. You guys reminded me too much of all the human stuff, and my wolf didn't like that. He wanted to be in control, and he wouldn't tolerate any of that human stuff."

"But why did you sometimes talk to Seth?" Embry followed up.

"Ech," Jacob started, grasping for words. "Seth is a little different. He's.. not easy to be angry with. My wolf knew he wasn't a threat, didn't see him as someone capable of bringing me back. Anything that didn't threaten my wolf's chances for full control I guess he was okay with." Jacob kept questioning if what he was saying was lost on his friends. _You're being too confusing._ "Besides, I guess it got lonely sometimes, and everyone else but that kid reminded me too much of La Push." To his joy, Quil and Embry nodded again.

"Are you still sad about Bella?" Quil ventured.

"Very," Jacob answered immediately. "Hurts like a bitch, but I can't do anything about it now." Jacob looked down solemnly, as if he had failed at something. Embry changed the subject before Jacob could risk getting angry about the topic out of nowhere. Embry noticed what Jacob probably failed to: he was growling slightly. The sign of an agitated inner wolf.

"What were you even doing in Canada all that time?" Embry asked. His question seemed to amuse Jacob.

"Wolf stuff," Jacob replied proudly and humorously. He almost forgot that Tiffany could very well still be listening. "Live with a few packs, eat raw meat fresh from the bone, run around and be a giant dog. The usual," Jacob elaborated, smiling. His wolf was very giddy to the memories of the days it was completely free. Jacob's wolf tried to communicate with Jacob to let him do it more often, craving freedom, but Jacob ignored it, distracting himself with Quil's next question.

"Why did you come back?"

"Bella's wedding," Jacob answered, thankful he got an easy one. He feared it may have been the wrong answer upon seeing Quil's expression sadden.

"Not for us?" Quil asked. Jacob panicked a little upon realizing how easily it was to take what he said in the wrong direction.

"Nonono, for you too," Jacob hurried, wondering if he was lying to Quil. Embry saved Jacob from answering any further on the topic.

"Did Sam try to command you at all with his Alpha shit?" Embry asked. Even Quil was curious after the question was posed.

"Not really," Jacob supplied. "Only to take care of myself." _Come to think of it, why_ didn't _he just order me to come back? Could've solved his problem in minutes._

"Are you gonna go away like that again?" Quil asked quietly, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"Probably not," Jacob replied. In truth, he was unsure of himself. He could go either way, given the storm of unpleasant circumstances. The Jacob-wolf was certainly down with getting away from it all, but Jacob himself wanted to stay. At least partially.

"We missed you.. a lot.." Quil spoke quietly.

"Not a question, Quil."

"I know.. still true.."

"I know it is, Quil," Jacob answered gently, glancing at Quil, who looked rather sad to remember what it was like when Jacob was gone. A small silence fell over the group. "Come on, don't look at me like that," Jacob plead to Quil. He couldn't bring himself to look any happier, though, so Quil opted to look towards Embry instead.

"Where's your mom, anyways?" Quil asked quietly to Embry, glancing around as if he was being watched. Embry shrugged. After a short silence, Jacob figured they were done, and set the basketball on the couch next to Embry.

"I believe this belongs to you," Jacob said. Embry nodded. "Might wanna put some more air in that."

"One of these days."

"If that'll be all, then," Jacob started, leaving his sentence in the air for a few seconds. "I gotta go make sure my dad's okay. Maybe I'll see you later, but I'll see you guys at the bonfire?"

"Yeah."

"Totally."

As he turned to leave, Tiffany showed herself again, still glaring at him. He wondered if she ever left the room. _Hope so._

"Sorry for being irresponsible," Jacob said, almost giggling, knowing he was apologizing for absolutely nothing.

Jacob left the Call house without saying goodbye to Tiffany.

『••✎••』

"Your stomach is gonna explode like a dying star if you eat one more of those."

"Sounds like a challenge to me," Paul retorted, replying to Jared's comment. Jared searched out Embry, who was already eyeing him mischievously. Jared held up 5 fingers. Embry shook his head and held up 3. Jared thought on it for a few seconds before giving him a thumbs up across the darkened yard.

Jared and Paul weren't far from each other. Jared felt compelled to stay within 10 feet of Kim at all times, or else he grew restless and strangely anxious. Paul was very much the same with Rachel Black, who he was sitting next to on the grass close to the fire. Jared paced around lightly, but stayed close to Kim. Sam hadn't left Emily's side since he first met up with her, with the pair claiming one of the logs for themselves, not wanting to sit on the ground. Collin and Brady were much more comfortable on the ground, though, staying by each other's side. Collin only had Brady in the pack, and Brady only had Collin. Quil and Jacob were lucky enough to get a log. Embry also got a log, but it was only because Sam didn't let him sit on the ground. The Elders sat close by each other. Too disciplined and civilized to sit on the ground with their old age, each of them brought a stool or a folding chair, save for Billy who brought his everywhere he went.

Leah was perfectly happy on the grass, however, where she propped _against_ a log, sitting next to Seth. The log she chose was purposefully the furthest from Sam's log. She figured it would make it hurt less. Her plan backfired when she didn't account for while being the furthest from Sam, she also had a perpendicular view of Sam and his imprint.

Jacob held true to his word and told Leah how Embry was. In his own form of poetic justice, he threw Leah's words back at her. _"Stable and alive,"_ he had said.

Sam and Jared were designated to prepare for the bonfire, and the whole pack knew it. If they did a good job, they typically received a quiet "good job" from a pack member or two. If they did a bad job, however, the pack made a game out of ridiculing the team. Whoever took up the job accepted the risks, and it raised the stakes and standards to doing a good job. Sam and Jared didn't take risks. They often bought as many hot dogs as the local grocery store had in stock and cooked them over a grill onsite. With the pack feeding for both themselves and a giant wolf, they naturally ate about 7 each, with Paul pushing 11 by the time Embry and Jared's bet was sealed.

In good time, Sam stood up and whistled an attention-grabbing high note.

"Alright, we know why we're here," Sam announced. "Time to mingle opinions on what our course of action should be. Regarding Swan and the Cullens." The pack and those invited gave general sounds of approval and understanding. "We went to the Cullens yesterday, for those of you who didn't accompany. They said they didn't know the group of vampires, that they're aware of the hostilities between our groups, and that they want to renegotiate the treaty. I think that's all the important stuff.. so everyone up to speed?" The pack gave general sounds of approval and understanding again. The council, not so much.

"If I may, Sam-" Billy voiced, "why is it that nobody informed us of any of this?"

"I figured you'd know soon enough. The bonfire was planned right after our meeting with the Cullens," Sam explained. Billy turned to Jacob, silently accusing him of withholding information.

"There wasn't an immediate threat," Jacob defended, sensing his father's resentment. "The council doesn't need to get their pants in a twist over waiting a day."

"A pack member suffering a major injury is grounds for at least a passing mention in the 28 hours since it happened," Billy argued. "And yet, I only found out about Embry's injury when I met him here tonight."

"I didn't exactly _want_ him here tonight," Sam grumbled while casting a disapproving stare towards Embry, not wanting anyone to forget how stubborn he was being.

"I'm in an arm cast, not a coffin," Embry insisted, throwing his hands up innocently yet defensively.

"You should still be at home resting instead of troubling your mother by heading to a fire halfway across the reservation with a gaping hole in your arm," Sam argued. Voices rose as the arguing continued, needing to be cut off by Billy.

"HEY!" Billy called firmly to quiet the masses. "He has the right to be here," Billy said, encouraging the pack to respect Embry's decision. "Besides, he's the best judge of his own wellbeing. His opinion is important to be shared in the pool as well."

"Speaking of which," Sam segued, knowing Billy wouldn't let him argue with Embry more. "Floor is now open for discussion. Don't be shy." Upon Sam's invitation, Jacob was the first to speak, surprising nobody.

"Well," Jacob started, causing a few of them to rather sigh or giggle, expecting him to launch into a well prepared speech. "I think pregnancy should be considered treaty violation. For Bella to deliver anything with the possibility to kill her should be considered a vampire knowingly causing harm to a human. We should do what we can to prevent the baby from being born at all to minimize the risk of harming Bella, but even after she's safe, the treaty's still done and violated." The pack looked around at each other, not expecting Jacob to be so prepared and bold with the opening statement. He didn't even need to warm up to the discussion, he was jumping right into the deep end.

"Agreed. Wholeheartedly." Paul voiced his support. "The treaty prevents the Cullens from turning human into those _things_ , but if a child is born a vampire but birthed by a human, does it still.. count?"

"To be technical," Sue Clearwater spoke up, "I don't think it counts if the child never undergoes a transformation. If it was born that way, it's a loophole in the treaty because it isn't strictly mentioned."

"She's right," Billy agreed. "But if the baby kills Bella and the baby turns out to be human, then it technically doesn't violate that particular clause, but it _does_ violate the clause where they cannot harm humans."

"It's out job to protect humans," Sam reminded. "If the baby turns out human, it's our job to protect it. It'll be exceedingly difficult to do, though, if it's to be raised by vampires. It'll be best if we can convince Bella not to get pregnant at all. That's practically hopeless, to be fair," Sam said. The cruel reminder of the truth in Sam's words caused Jacob despair behind the scenes.

"It's _extremely_ unlikely that the baby will be born entirely human, and if it turns out some fucked up mishmash, what then?" Embry questioned. "If it's only park vampire, do we protect it at all? Is it all or nothing? Do we protect it Sundays through Wednesdays and then leave it be for the rest of the week?"

"If the baby is any part vampire, we aren't obligated to protect it, but if the delivery doesn't cause Bella pain, then.. it's not strictly against the treaty."

 _"Stop!"_ Jacob loudly begged. "Can we please stop talking about this baby as if it's already born? Can we cut the present tense?"

"Easy, Jake," Sam said, holding up his hand towards him. "We're just spitballing. Preparing for worst case scenario."

"If Bella gets pregnant and the baby turns out portion leech, would Bella be allowed in La Pash before the baby is born?" Jared asked.

"Bella's married now," Paul sourly brought up. "Bella's a Cullen now. She wouldn't be allowed back no matter what." Some of the pack looked a little sad to be reminded of it, still holding on to their friendship with the one human who never seemed to mind their wolfiness. But it was true: Bella was a Cullen now. And there are no Cullens in La Push.

"That clause was only added to keep bloodsuckers off our lawn, though," Jacob said. "It shouldn't apply until she transforms." Paul laughed at the notion.

"You really think she isn't gonna be transformed by the time she comes back?" Paul asked condescendingly. Jacob argued back, but his voice was drowned out by the growing volume of the quarrel between Jacob and Paul. Their arguments kept getting drowned out by the other's, the debate quickly devolving into noise and buzzes, no distinct point being heard over the other. Their verbal fight could turn physical at any moment, and Sam had to stop it.

**"Quiet down."**

To anyone else in the circle, Sam's voice was simply Sam's voice. To Jacob and Paul, his voice rang in an irresistible double timbre that quieted them instantaneously. The two were silent, but were still massively annoyed at the being unable to argue because of the werewolf forces rendering them quiet to their Alpha's desires. Sam was fast to notice their dissatisfaction.

"It was to make sure you two actually did it," Sam explained, releasing them from the command. "Play nice." Quil spoke to break the tension.

"Carlisle did invite us for renegotiation," he reminded. "Maybe things can change if it goes well."

"I don't wanna compromise with those leeches," Paul said bitterly.

"Luckily, you don't have to," Jacob said smugly. "He only invited me, Sam, and Quil." Sensing a fight, Sam replied quickly.

"We still need to prepare for if they don't take place at all."

"At this rate, what's the point of protecting Bella at all if she's just a clock counting down to her transformation date?" Paul argued. "Her last name is literally Cullen for Chrissake!" Jacob opened his mouth to reply, but Sam held his hand up in a "calm down, I got this" way. The Jacob-wolf forced a growl out of Jacob's mouth.

"As long as Bella is still human, she must be protected."

"Everyone and their grandmother knows Bella is gonna transform," Embry countered. " _Several_ pack brothers admit that. _You included_ , Sam. Once she's bitten, that's endgame. That's the end of our truce. Afterwords, we don't have to protect Bella _nor_ her baby."

"We don't know anything for sure yet," Sam said. "She may not transform and she may not have a baby."

"I think you're being a bit willfully ignorant, bro," Jared told Sam as gently as possible. "She may have done both already."

"C'mon, have a little hope," Sam encouraged without a rebuttal to Jared. "Stay open minded."

"We should protect 'er as long as she's human," Collin spoke up, on behalf of Brady, the pair previously pin drop silent. "But we might not see 'er human again so we shouldn't act on anything until we get a solid confirmation that she hasn't transformed yet." Flustered by having the undivided attention of a pack of his teenage Native American pack brothers, his voice shook a little as he spoke. Brady especially was very relieved to see Quil nod a small bit, implying he agreed with them.

"The Cullens are very close to violation," Old Quil said, speaking for the first time. "So close in fact it's almost inevitable. You should confront them tomorrow and show them the full force of the pack. Demonstrate the consequences that there'll be if they go through with it."

"Hm," Billy sounded. "Violence from us would be met with violence from them. We're not looking for a war.

"I want to maintain peace between our two groups," Sam clarified. "Despite the impending violation."

"Noble," Billy applauded, "but maybe not tactical. We don't take these kind of things lightly. Violation is violation."

"We've made exceptions to the treaty before," Jacob brought up.

"That was different, Jacob," Billy said. "That was temporary. Transformation is permanent."

"I'm with Grampa Quil," Paul said. "We should show them what would happen if they transform Bella. Fear is an excellent motivator."

"The Cullens have no control over what Bella and Edward do over their honeymoon," Quil countered.

"There's no way they didn't know what would happen," Paul bit back.

"I don't think it would be wise to march onto their property and start making threats," Sam opinionated. "If such a confrontation were to happen, it should happen at the treaty line. A peaceful resolution is still possible, and I intend to find it."

A small silence engulfed the group. All in attendance pondered what everyone had said. Sam continued after 10 seconds.

"Is there anyone we haven't heard from?"

Another silence followed, with the pack looking around the circle. The imprints hadn't spoken, though the imprints knew their place. They weren't invited to share opinions, they were invited because their imprints couldn't go anywhere without them. They were there to keep half the pack stable, not argue with pack members they hardly knew about a subject they didn't have a leg to stand on with. Eventually, Jacob's eyes passed by Leah, noticing she didn't speak. He pointed at her silently, with the rest of the pack slowly following suit until most of the pack was pointing at Leah and Seth, singling them out.

"Thanks, guys," Leah said, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone is welcome to speak, you two," Sam encouraged. Seth mouthed "it's fine" before offering a small smile to Sam.

"I'm taking in all the opinions," Leah scapegoated. In truth, she didn't have a strong opinion on the subject and would go with whoever spoke with the most confidence. Sam saw through her lie, but let it go.

"If you say so," he said, sighing. Another silence swallowed the group. "Everyone is welcome to speak more than once if you'd like to fill this awkward silence."

Small laughing arose from various parts of the circle.

"Alright, suit yourselves," Sam conceded. "Now it's time to come to a decision on what to do now that we've heard from everyone who wanted to talk." Everyone started voicing their opinions all at once, even the council and the Elders. Without hearing anyone's words over anyone else's, Sam raised a hand to quiet the group. "It's rather clear that we're gonna have a hard time coming to an agreement across all of us."

"What, no kidding?" Jared asked, feigning surprise, much to the pack's amusement. "Let me just say that it is an _honor_ to be in your presence, the great Sherlock Holmes himself." Sam tried to unsuccessfully hide a smile.

"Aw, can it, Jared," Sam managed. With the pack indecisive, Sam turned to the council for input. The council was always happy to give input. Billy, Sue, and Old Quil held a hushed conversation among themselves, a conversation that went on for so long that Sam had time to pick up his plate, eat an entire hot dog, kiss Emily, and return to the position he was in before.

"Send a warning to the Cullens," Billy declared to Sam. "Regardless of whether or not they have control over Bella's transformation, Carlisle is still responsible for how his clan behaves, just like you and I are responsible for how _our_ kind behaves. Remind them what should happen should they violate the treaty, because the consequences probably outweigh the reward, especially for the rest of the Cullen family."

"They're probably well aware what would happen when they turn Bella."

"Well then do it again. They need to know precisely how thin the ice they're skating on is."

"I'm not sure that'll make much of a difference," Sam said, unconvinced. "It may show weakness on our part."

"At the very least, tell them that the council wasn't warm to the idea of a renegotiation. Even if you say nothing else, make sure you tell them that."

"Great. What else do I say?"

"If you have anything else to say, you'll know when the time is right," Billy foretold. "Stay calm when confronting them, set a good example for the Quileute. Show us as approachable."

"I suppose this concludes the seminar, then," Sam said, banging an imaginary gavel. "Tomorrow, I'll take half the pack-"

Billy interrupted him with a loud, exaggerated cough.

"A quarter of the pack-"

Billy did so again, loudly clearing his throat. Some of the pack members let out small giggles.

"A third of the-"

Billy did so yet again. The laughing increased.

" _Two_ thirds of the-" Sam started, pausing, anticipating an interruption which never came. "- pack. I'll take two thirds of the pack to the Cullens tomorrow and tell them that there'll be no renegotiation, and if anything comes to mind, I'll tell 'em that, too. I'll be sure to remember everything we've discussed tonight and speak on behalf of all of us."

"Who're you taking?" Jared asked excitedly.

"I'll sleep on it," Sam promised, not eager to do more talking that night. With that, Sam sat down on the log next to Emily, watching the fire. The circle of pack members quickly devolved into a circle of friends yet again, which a certain teenager found amusing considering how cut-throat their arguments had been just minutes before.

Leah still sat against the log, taking it all in. She could tell just by looking at Sam that he wasn't satisfied with how the discussion went. She could read that he expected the outcome, the final decision on what to do, to be more clear-cut and obvious than it was. Instead of a solid game plan, Sam was left with nothing but a prophecy and the council expecting him to journey to the Cullens to deliver all but a single sentence to them about how renegotiation wouldn't happen. Leah realized she never did voice an opinion in the end, and neither did Seth. She wondered if that added to Sam's disappointment. She wondered if it would have changed anything.

Leah tried to think realistically. What would Sam have to gain from hearing Leah's opinion out loud at the pack discussion? Surely he could've just snagged it out of her brain in the short window of time they were both phased together when their patrols overlapped. Why did he want to hear it out loud? Why did he want to hear it at _all?_ Jacob and Paul were more than happy to continuously flood the air with their opinions. Sam clearly wasn't at a loss of what to do. Would he have considered the opinion of his ex-girlfriend more than he would have considered the opinion of his Beta who he's only known well for a matter of 2 years? She almost regretted not saying anything.

Next Leah considered why Seth not speaking may have bothered Sam. _Did_ it bother Sam? Leah didn't consider it unlikely. Sam was always joyous to simply hear Seth's voice nowadays. After the imprint and subsequent breakup, Sam and Seth rapidly drifted apart. It was still a sore spot with Sam, who was massively upset about it. There was a time he considered Seth a little brother, and in the span between the imprint and Seth joining the pack, Sam felt near completely alienated from the Clearwater family, who had grown to mean a great deal to him. Seth and Sam were almost inseparably close before it all went down, and it was no secret that it tore Sam apart from the inside out to see Seth regard him almost fearfully, as if scared and intimidated by him in similar ways that Collin and Brady were.

Leah's train of thought was slowly made dimmer by the gradual rising pain in her shoulder, the cause being Seth leaning on it, asleep. Leah figured he must have done it very gently, or she totally forgot him doing it in the first place. Whatever the reason, Leah was surprised to see him there. It reminded her of the days where Sam and Leah would trade "shifts" supporting Seth's head when they were younger at bonfire, back when Seth was a vastly younger child, much more prone to falling asleep at curveball times. _He stopped once he imprinted,_ Leah's memories reminded, determined to wear down any positive thought with a negative one to overshadow it. It's as if no memories of Sam were left untainted. Leah sighed, feeling alone.

"Someone looks lonely," Jacob called quietly, crawling over to here. Leah snapped out of her thoughts and readied her brain to interact with another living thing.

"Mhmm," was all she could muster out. Jacob propped up to her next to the log. Embry had since moved, leaving the log empty, although they still remained on the gravely grass in front of it.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jacob asked, curious.

"Sorry, to engage in conversation, you need to pay the toll."

"And what might that toll be?" Jacob followed up, grinning.

"Take this idiot off my shoulder so I can breathe?" Leah answered, motioning to Seth's head. Jacob was very much amused, silently agreeing to it. The two shuffled silently and slowly, carefully transferring Seth's sleeping head from Leah's shoulder to Jacob's. Leah scooted to the right, putting Jacob in between her and her brother. "Thanks," Leah thanked, rotating her shoulder bone in a circle to circulate the blood again.

"How'd the kid even pass out? It's fairly.. lively here."

"He refuses to believe that drowsiness is a side effect to cold medicine."

"Ah. Rookie mistake," Jacob replied in understanding, waiting a few seconds. "Well? Toll has been paid," he continued cheerily. "Gimme answers."

"I didn't have anything to say," Leah admit, sighing. "If I had any clue on what to do myself, I'd probably have said something. Even Collin said something. I'm the only dumbass who didn't."

"So what if you didn't know what to do?"

"Nobody talks during an argument if they don't know which side to take. I'd rather listen to the ideas of people who seemed confident."

"You kiddin'?" Jacob rhetorically asked. "I had no idea what I was saying out there half the time. I was just worried about protecting Bella and the pack at the same time."

"That's fair," Leah said. "But everyone was trying to do that. The issue was nobody really knew how."

"I know, I know.." Jacob muttered. "I've just been really worried about her."

"A lot of people here are. You're not alone on this one," Leah said, almost comfortingly. "We're on your side here, Jake."

Jacob snapped his head in her direction, sporting a smirk.

"You've never called me that before."

"Isn't that what everyone calls you?"

"It's what my _friends_ call me," Jacob clarified with a huge grin.

"Oh, shush," Leah begged.

The silence that fell on the two afterward for once wasn't awkward, but instead pleasant. Leah glanced across her pack members over the fire. Collin and Brady were picking at the grass and talking happily. She glanced to Jared, who was watching something burn in the fire intensely, with Leah assuming that he had thrown something in there he shouldn't have, and was watching the ashes claim it as their own. Paul's stomach didn't explode like a dying star, leading Leah to wonder whether Jared or Embry had won the bet in the end. Glossing over the Elders, she paused her eyes on Sam, jealous to see Emily to his right, though surprised to see Quil to his left. She noticed a rare look of surprise on Sam's face, and she scanned the environment for his unusually low voice to hone in on.

 _"..rry again for that. I shou.. have let you worry like that,"_ Leah heard him say, although vaguely. _Apologizing for his Alpha command,_ Leah figured. At least Sam hadn't totally forgotten and was apologizing like the good sympathetic Alpha he was. _"All that bec.. of a retarded Al.. ommand."_ Quil's voice was easier to pick out. _"Don't be so hard on yourself."_

Everyone was happy at the bonfire. Everyone was satisfied. Jealousy aside, Leah was happy too. Leah watched the attendees happily through the red and orange flames.

The fire that bound it all together, like a brilliant flaming centerpiece, was still burning bright.


	8. Violence

Breakfast was nothing compared to the bonfire food the evening before.

Leah had to admit, Sam and Jared did a surprisingly good job maintaining a variety of food that everyone found something they liked in. After wolfing down (figuratively or otherwise) about 6 hot dogs and a ton of salted meat products usually reserved for special occasions, the bowl of bran flakes Leah found in her cabinet the morning after felt tremendously lackluster. She had to hand it to him: Jared knew how to work the grill. He may have went overboard with the salt at every turn, but he knew how to grill. The lack of acidic salts on her bran flakes almost surprised her after hours of flooding her stomach with sodium chloride.

Paul's stomach never did explode like a dying star. A few minutes shy of midnight when the pack was closing up shop, Jared and Embry decided to call an honorary truce, with nobody losing or gaining money. _"If it ever turns into a black hole, though, that's a different thing altogether,"_ Embry had joked. Even Leah smiled at that. As much as she loathed to admit it, she was growing tiny fun-size pieces more fond of her pack brothers with every passing day, Jacob especially. After all, she did call him by the name only his friends called him by the night before. He was much nicer to her than she remembered. She was starting to question whether she had it all wrong with him.

Leah was still fairly confident in his annoying arrogance, though.

"Hey, squirt," Leah greeted when her brother entered the kitchen. She wasn't aware how long she was standing there thinking, holding a now empty bowl that once held bran flakes. "You still smell like fire and ash," she teased.

"You do, too," Seth protested. "If not more so."

"How can you be sure that's me and not you?"

"I know things," Seth quipped. Unable to refute his statement, Leah dug for something else she could poke at him for.

"At least I'm not the one who fell asleep," Leah teased further.

"Aw, shush," Seth said, embarrassed a little. "How was Jacob's cereal yesterday?"

"Masterful," Leah answered, rolling her eyes in sarcasm. "More or less what you'd expect from Jacob Black."

"Gooood mornin'," Sue bid as she entered the room, the entire Clearwater family now in the room. Leah plowed through a slice of bread, still hungry after her cereal. "Can I make you something?" Sue offered.

"No thanks," Leah declined. "I'm content with my bread."

"How do you even manage to eat bread without anything on it?" Seth asked, almost shocked. "It's like.. nothing. Flavorless. S'like the water of the food pyramid."

"Hey, I'll eat _anything_ if I'm hungry," Leah replied.

"Yeah, evidently," Sue chimed in. "You ate almost a full pack of hot dogs yesterday night."

"Sure did," Leah said proudly, as if it was an accomplishment. Sue winced slightly.

"You know what's _in_ those things, right?"

"I'm not even sure the guys who _make_ it know what's in those things."

There was a double knock at their back door. They weren't expecting visitors, so they had to mentally narrow it down to see if it was worth answering. Whoever it was considered themselves close enough to the Clearwater family to enter through their _back_ door, but not enough to enter without knocking. Sue considered it was a member of the council. Leah and Seth thought it was an extra confident pack member. Leah answered the door, being the closest, revealing that all three members of the family were right with their guesses as to who it was to some degree.

"Yello," Sam greeted, hovering in the doorway while leaning against the frame. Leah suppressed a gasp, not expecting to see him so early in the morning. She didn't really like seeing him at _all_ anymore, being unable to get over her feelings for him with them dragging her down every time his name came up in her mind. It was bad enough to attend a four hour bonfire and seeing her ex-boyfriend and her cousin acting like lovebirds, and now she had to see him show up at her house before breakfast the morning after. It almost stung _worse_ that Emily wasn't with him presently. If she was, at least she could've blamed the jealous feelings in her gut on something.

Lost in thought, she forgot he was waiting on a confirmation he could enter. "May I come in?"

"Wh- oh. Fine," Leah allowed, stepping out the way. By the time she turned around, Seth was already gone. She heard Sam sigh heavily.

"I don't like it when he does that," he said quietly.

"I'll talk to him about it," Leah promised absentmindedly. Sam smiled. Leah added the task to her ever growing list.

\- Pester Seth about what he's upset about.  
\- Pester Seth about Sam.  
\- Be friendlier to Quil and don't yell at him until he cries anymore.

"Thanks," he said. Only then did Leah wonder just what Sam was doing at her house.

"What're you doing here, anyways?" Leah asked. She didn't mean for it to sound as rude as her tone did, but Sam didn't seem to notice or mind.

"Patrol schedule," Sam answered with a sentence fragment.

"Where's my usual mailman? Or.. mailwolf, rather?"

"Quil?" Sam asked. Leah nodded. "Patrol," he answered. "He's taking the early shift today. He wanted to be here because he hates the 6am slot, but he.. _isn't_ here, so I am," Sam answered, handing her the patrol schedule. Similar to the day before, it was scribbled on an index card in what looked like 30 seconds. Flustered by Sam's closeness, Leah was grateful to have the distraction of a patrol schedule to look at. She tried not to let Sam's mere presence alone distract her as it usually did.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Jared  
_ _6am - 9am / Jacob, Quil  
9am - 3pm / Seth, Leah  
3pm - 6pm / Collin, Brady  
6pm - 12am / Paul_

"It's so nice to have you in my kitchen again," Sue said cheerily while Leah read the schedule. "Can I get you anything? Cup of water? You were just on patrol, right?"

"Affirmative," Sam answered. "Water'd be great, but only if there was salt in it."

"Comin' right up," Sue said with a smile. As she prepared it, she continued. "The bonfire was lovely, by the way. You and Jared did an amazing job."

"Aw, thank you," Sam replied, taking the cup from Sue. "And further my thanks to the council. Their input will help me guide our confrontation with the Cullens later. Speakin' of which.." Sam turned to Leah. "I'd like you to come with, if that's alright."

"Okay," Leah accepted. She figured she would be off the hook from leeches for a while having just went the other day. She wasn't too enthusiastic about going. "Who'll be left behind?"

"Well, with Chief Billy's two-thirds implication, only 3 will be left behind, making the obvious choices Embry, Collin, and Brady," Sam explained. "Collin and Brady will be on perimeter, and Embry will be on house arrest." Leah smirked to his terminology. _House arrest. Somehow accurate._

"I'll tell Collin and Brady their roles, if you want," Leah offered.

"Wouldn't they rather hear it from me?" Sam asked.

"Are ya kidding? They would probably rather hear it from Lucifer. They're terrified of you," Leah answered.

" _Leah_ ," Sue scolded through a harsh whisper.

"Don't I know it," Sam sighed, referring to Leah's statement.

"Wasn't meant as an attack on you or anything, just sayin'-"

"No, no, you're right. Those two _are_ terrified of me," Sam said, looking around as if upset, setting his empty cup on the counter. Leah sensed he was about to add "and it's my fault" or something similar, and in an attempt to deter his self-attack, she spoke again.

"Uh-uh," Leah scolded. "You aren't allowed to criticize yourself for no reason as long as you're in the Clearwater house."

"Can I do it on your lawn, then?"

"No. You need to have a reason on the lawn, too."

Sam paused. "In your driveway?"

"You need _two_ reasons in the driveway."

"Being a garbage Alpha and scaring a pair of my thirteen year old pack brothers shitless is good enough in my book to count as two reasons."

"There's no way you can control how you come off to Collin and Brady," Sue defended. "They're still young and they'll still change."

"They won't be changing very _fast_ ," he complained. "Werewolf genetics robbed them of a proper childhood."

"I know it's not fair, but we have to work with what we have," Sue reminded. "I think you're doing a great job. You've done a lot for the tribe and for your pack."

"Thanks, Ms. Clearwater," Sam thanked.

"How many times have I told you to call me Sue?"

"I'm guessing lots," Sam grinned.

"Well, it was nice seeing you, but I've got to do some.. mom things now," Sue said. "I'll see you around, Sam."

"As will I, _Sue,"_ Sam called, smiling cheekily. Sue rolled her eyes happily before leaving Leah and Sam alone in her kitchen. Leah briefly stretched and gravitated towards the door. Sam floated around her kitchen slowly, with his eye catching something on the windowsill. He paced over to it and looked at it longingly, a look that Leah hadn't seen in person in a long time. The only thing that seemed to interest him anymore was his imprint.

"You still have it," he mumbled, delicately petting the young pine tree growing in a pot in the window. His raw strength cracked the pot a little, with Sam unaware of how hard he was pushing on it.

"It was a gift from someone I used to know," Leah said. She chose her words carefully and went with the ones she knew would nip him the most. She could tell by the new crack in the pot that she must have succeeded in at least causing his right arm to tense up enough to break hardened clay.

"You still know me."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure."

Another small crack. _You're playing with fire now, Leah._

"In what ways aren't you sure?"

"Sometimes it feels like I don't know you like I did when you gave me that."

"Is that so?"

_Think carefully. Don't be reckless. Stop being stupid. You're pushing the limits of your own Alpha._

"I think so."

 _Idiot._ Another crack.

"You're gonna kill it if you keep doing that."

"Accidental pot cracking is better than purposeful pot kicking-and-shattering, if I may."

"You're such an asshole," Leah growled, raising her voice. Sam took his hand off the plant and shifted his gaze from the young fern to the young Quileute across the room.

"I was just surprised you still had it is all."

"I wasn't just gonna leave it to _die._ What kind of person do you take me for?"

_You're not helping. He's backing down. Stop prodding him._

"I was just surprised you still had it," Sam repeated, not letting Leah get to him. "I'm happy you do."

"I'm happy, too," Leah said sourly. _Leave it at that. For the love of God, stop talking._ "I can always count on that _plant_ to be there for me."

_You'll regret this someday._

"What are you getting at, Leah?"

_Just say nothing. Leave it alone. Let it be._

"Nothing."

 _Thank you._ Sam didn't look convinced by her answer. His black eyes burned Leah as he looked at her. She prayed he would calm down. It was always a gamble with him. Taking a deep breath, he tore his eyes from her, with one last glance to the pine tree. After a few seconds, he returned his gaze to Leah, his eyes not as scorching as they had just been. Realizing she wouldn't say anything, he glanced around the room for a while. Silence was palpable between the two. It was almost too much for Leah to stand.

"I guess I'll go find Collin and Brady," she said after a short while, readying herself to leave in mild anger. Leah didn't like Collin or Brady too much, but the idea of spending any more time with Sam was unthinkable. Leah had gotten her daily amount of him. There was only so much of him she could tolerate a day. Sam stopped her before she could.

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about something," Sam requested. As the Alpha, it wasn't a request as much as it was letting her know that it was going to happen. Leah's heart rate boosted immediately. She suddenly wasn't angry with him anymore, only fearful of what he might say or do. _What could he want to talk about?_ It could be literally anything under the Sun. What did he know about? What did he want to talk about that couldn't be said in front of Sue? Why did he wait to say it? How long has he known?

"Don't worry, you're not in _too_ much trouble," Sam assured, sensing her anxiety with his enhanced senses. His phrasing didn't ease her worries.

"Go for it."

"So.." Sam started, sighing lightly. "Paul told me that you took Jacob's patrol two days ago, and that you ran a double shift that day."

_Oh boy, here it comes. The Great Wrath of Sam Uley._

"He was drunk," Leah explained. "I didn't want an intoxicated wolf guarding our perimeters. He could've missed vital signs that danger was close, not to mention his thoughts would've been _insufferable_ for his partner-"

Sam raised a hand, cutting her off. "You don't have to waste your breath explaining the ins and outs of why running a patrol on alcohol is a bad idea," he said.

"You never know."

"Even still, you're not supposed to swap patrols with people without telling me first. Not without my foreknowledge, nor without taking compensation, which you also didn't do."

"It was a split second decision, I only had a few _minutes_. I didn't want to waste time tracking you to the ends of the Earth only to get denied at the gate."

"I understand why you did it," Sam assured. "Doesn't make it right. You still broke pack code, not to mention showed disregard for your own wellbeing."

"What're you gonna do, throw me out a window?"

"Interesting idea, but no. No defenestration. There won't be a punishment for you this time. Do anything like that again, though, and there will be consequences for your own good. Hell, _Jacob_ is more likely to be punished. From a certain point of view, he blew off patrol, not to mention how irresponsible he was."

"Go easy on him," Leah said, only half meaning it. She was surprised to hear her voice vouch for the likes of Jacob.

"He's strong," Sam reminded. "He can take it."

"Will that be all then, O great Alpha?"

"Not quite. There's something else I want to talk to you about," Sam preambled. _Uh oh, double trouble._

"Great," Leah said dryly, smiling sarcastically, trying to force amusement into herself to hide her growing anxiety. Sam's deep sigh that followed didn't ease her tensions.

"What exactly were you doing on the cliffside the night of the wedding?"

Leah almost had a heart attack. She visibly recoiled to hear the question in his tone. If her anxiety was poor before, it had nothing on the anxiety she felt now. Seconds had passed. Sam wanted an answer. Her brain was shouting at her to feed him something. _It looks like you're stalling! Come on, just tell him something! Anything!_ The other side of her brain was concerned with other things. _How did he find out?_ She could figure out the answer relatively easy: Quil leaked it to Jared while on patrol the morning after the wedding. _That snitch!_

\- Pester Seth about what he's upset about.  
\- Pester Seth about Sam.  
\- Be friendlier to Quil and don't yell at him until he cries anymore.  
 _-_ Yell at Quil until he cries about snitching to Jared.

Leah noticed how the last two points on her list contradicted each other. _I'll make an exception._

"Well?"

"I- uh.." Leah started expertly. "I-"

"Knew it," Sam said, sighing for the umpteenth time. "You were trying to do something you shouldn't have." Leah knew she was caught. She couldn't deny it.

"I don't need a lecture."

"Yeah, I think you do. Why do you _do_ this to yourself? To us?"

"To _you?"_ Leah yelled. _"To you?_ This isn't _about_ you!"

"Alright, bad phrasing-"

"Yeah, no shit! How could you possibly twist this into something you try to make me feel _guilty_ for?"

"Bad phrasing," Sam repeated. "I'm just trying to say that this affects us _all._ This is bigger than you and I'm urging you to consider this and be wise about it."

"Whatever," Leah growled loudly.

"Look, _promise_ me you'll talk to someone about this. Me, Seth, your mother, Billy Black, even the guy at the drive-thru window if you need to. Just.. look after yourself."

"Yeah, fine," Leah emptily promised. Sam caught on to the lie in her words, but didn't say anything. A few seconds of quiet passed before both realized that the conversation was over and neither side would hear any more on the topic.

" _I'm_ gonna find Collin and Brady," Sam insisted. Leah was going to protest, but figured she was in rather hot water with Sam and she didn't want to push it by shooting him down seconds after a heated argument. "Thanks for the visit," he said on his way out. Leah watched him leave the property. _Stupid Sam and his stupid lecturing._ Leah turned around to face her kitchen again, noticing Seth leaning against the fridge as if he'd been there the whole time. It was now Leah's turn to sigh.

"Why do you hide from him?" Leah asked. Her brother put on a look of surprise.

"Hiding from who? Sam? I'm not hiding from him.."

"Oh yes you are. You just vanished when he came over and reappeared when he left."

"S'a coincidence.." Seth replied quietly, as if he didn't want her to hear it. As if he wasn't confident in his lie but also didn't want to look like he said nothing at all.

"A coincidence?" Leah prodded. It was clear Seth didn't want to talk about it. Leah made him anyway. _"Seth."_

Seth whined. Leah persevered.

"You can't just hide from him forever."

"Why not?"

"You two used to be inseparable. We had to pry you two apart with the jaws of life."

"That was before," Seth mumbled quietly.

"Before what?"

Seth was quiet. It felt like an interrogation. The Seth-wolf felt like whining again, and maybe crying a little.

_"Before what, Seth?"_

"Before everyone turned into giant dogs, Lee!" Seth yelled. Leah stumbled back from her brother's burst of anger. It was a rare sight.

"That doesn't change things.." Leah replied, almost scared by her brother's outburst. "He's still Sam."

"Objectively," Seth protested. "A heavily altered version of Sam, maybe."

"People change, Seth."

"Not as rapidly as Sam did. Think about it. He's a completely different person now than before he phased."

"And you aren't?"

"Nope," Seth answered confidently. "Sam is completely different. He's not the Sam I was friends with. He's someone else now. He's.. scarier now."

"He still loves you, squirt, you just don't give him any _chances_."

Leah's comeback rendered Seth silent. She knew she had him.

"So.. give him a chance, please?"

Seth was silent a few more seconds. He didn't _want_ to give him a chance. Even if he said he would, Seth still probably wouldn't.

"Fine," he mumbled anyways. Leah considered it a victory regardless. _One down, three to go._

"Did y'eat your vitamin yet?" Leah called out just before Seth fled the room. Her brother groaned.

"You sound like mom."

"You'll have to excuse that I don't want my little brother to die because he refused to eat his vitamins."

"The chances of that are very low."

"Just choke it down, Sethseth."

"Only if you eat yours too," Seth ordered. _Dammit. Got me there._

"Fine," Leah gambled. "Fork it over."

"You haven't even taken it out of the cabinet yet."

"Right.." Leah said as she crossed the kitchen and fished around in the cupboard. Among bottles and containers, Leah found the Vitamin D tablets cleverly hidden in the very back. Being the cloudiest state in the Union, almost every resident in the area had Vitamin D insufficiency, meaning almost every resident had to take tablets to make up for it. While taking the container out of the cupboard, another medicine bottle caught her eye. An almost full bottle of Advil. _Tiffany was looking for this,_ Leah remembered. _I need to get this over to Embry's ASAP.._

"I gotta run to Embry's real quick.." Leah announced.

"Now you're just makin' stuff up to get out of your vitamin," Seth teased. Leah proved him wrong by immediately eating hers in front of him, chewing twice and swallowing in a 3 second motion. Seth was impressed, and conceded by eating his own shortly after. Leah was amused by the visible recoiling that followed shortly after.

"Alright, now I really gotta get to Embry's," Leah said hurriedly. "Promise you won't hide from Sam anymore?"

"Maybe," Seth called out.

"Piece of work," Leah grumbled before taking her leave, a full bottle of Advil in her hand.

『••✎••』

On the walk to the Call residence, Leah replayed her conversation with Seth over in her mind. _People change,_ she had said. She wondered if she would've used the same arguments her brother used against Sam just minutes before. Leah knew she was a hypocrite and was teetering on both sides. She knew Sam deserves a second chance, and grilled Seth for not giving him one, despite not giving him one herself. She knew that Seth was right with Sam changing too rapidly for comfort, but she defended him in a situation she would have took Seth's side on in different circumstances. Leah was no closer to sorting her thoughts on the matter by the time Embry's house came into view.

Approaching the Call residence, she could vividly hear that there was some sort of heated argument coming from inside. One of the voices was evidently Embry's, but the other voice was much deeper. Male, definitely. _Is that.. Sam?_ Leah groaned. The last person she wanted to see right now. _What's he doing here? I thought he was supposed to be flogging down Collin and Brady._ Leah came right up to the door to listen to what they were arguing about.

 _"Yes it will."_ Sam, Leah could tell.

 _"How do you know?"_ Embry, that much was clear.

_"Call it intuition. I'm not letting you. That's final."_

_"I'm not too sick to run in circles!"_

_"You could be too sick to phase."_

_"Patrol isn't even that hard."_

_"Maybe it is for injured wolves."_

Leah figured Embry was insisting to be put back on the patrol schedule. Leah was amused that Embry was trying to hard to get added back to the patrol pool while every other wolf is usually desperate to get _out_ of patrol.

_"Just.. stay back a few more days? I don't want you on patrol for at least half a week."_

_"What am I supposed to do, then? Sit around and be useless?"_

_"Take it easy and heal so you're okay for when we need you."_

_"You need me to confront the Cullens later."_

_"We have our 7. You aren't a part of that 7. I'm sorry."_

Leah couldn't see Embry's expression, but she could assume he was heartbroken. If there's anything Embry hated, it's feeling useless, especially to his pack brothers. His injury was keeping him from helping his pack brothers in any way, it seemed. He couldn't patrol, he couldn't talk to vampires, Sam threw a fit just so that he could go to a bonfire and sit down for a few hours without moving much. Embry fell completely and utterly obsolete.

_"Wonderful, so I'm on the same level as Collin and Brady now?"_

_"I didn't_ say _that, all I said was that you're too injured to be on patrol right now."_

Leah figured that Tiffany must not have been home for them to be so loudly arguing about the patrol schedule. Having nothing to be afraid of anymore, Leah proudly entered the Call house as if she owned the place. The two stopped arguing immediately after Leah took center stage in the doorway.

"I found some Advil for you," Leah said awkwardly.

"Ooh! Gimme!" Embry said excitedly. Leah tossed the bottle across the room to him. Despite his shoulder gash, his werewolf senses allowed him to catch the bottle in midair, which he set on the floor just within his reach. "Thank ya, Leah," he said before chuckling softly. "Heh, that rhymes.."

"I heard yelling," Leah said dryly. Embry took it upon himself to answer for the both of them.

"Sorry about that, Sam was just being unfair very loudly."

"How am I being unfair?" Sam asked in an annoyed voice. The duo started arguing again as if Leah had never entered.

"You're not letting me run patrol even though I'm qualified."

"You're hardly qualified with all that blood on you. You'll draw every leech for miles with a cut like that."

"What do I do about my wolf, huh, smartass?" Embry asked, as if he had Sam cornered. Sam was prepared.

"I'll bring chocolate over before we leave for the Cullens," Sam explained smugly. "That'll keep your wolf down for at least a day or two, if rationed well."

"C'mon, Sam, I just wanna patrol. Paul doesn't have a partner for tonight, right? You think he'll be okay for 6 whole hours without his wolf running rampant, huh? A guy like Paul?" Embry brought forth. Sam thought about it briefly. Embry took the opportunity to try to soften Sam more. "I just wanna help," he vowed, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Three hours," Sam decreed. "You get three hours a day."

"Aw," Embry complained. "That really _does_ make me like Collin and Brady."

"What's wrong with Collin and Brady?" Sam questioned curiously yet firmly.

"They're middle schoolers. I just have a slight injury."

"Slight!" Sam scoffed.

"Any other stupid conditions?" Embry asked to change the subject. Sam considered it for a second.

"You can only do your three hours with me as your partner."

"Alright," Embry grumbled. He seemed to take that condition better than the first one. "What'll happen for the other three hours?"

"I'll run those alone."

"What about Quil and Jared?"

"Quil loves Seth," Leah chimed in, reminding Sam and Embry that she was still standing there. "He probably wouldn't mind switching partners to him for a few days."

"That leaves _you_ without a partner, Leah," Sam objected.

"If you can run your patrol alone, so can I," Leah protested.

"No," Sam said, shaking his head as if it was a no-brainer. "That's unallowable."

"Come on," Leah pleaded. "There's not a soul in this pack who can stand my thoughts anyways. I should run with Seth or nobody at all, and I don't wanna leave Quil all alone."

"That's not true," Sam said, waving his hand. "It's not that people can't stand your thoughts, it's -"

"Bullshit," Leah angrily cut off. Exhausted of arguing before 9 in the morning, Sam only sighed.

"I guess I'll assign you to Jacob."

"I thought I told you to go easy on his punishment."

"Having you as a patrol partner is hardly a punishment," Sam objected, his voice tired and strained. "I'll have to rework the entire patrol schedule. I'll have to go talk to my patrol cabinet after I find Collin and Brady. Tell 'em their jobs while we're at the Cullens."

"Please let me come with you?" Embry begged. "I can take Seth's place. What if he gets hurt? He's a little guy, after all -"

"I promise you Seth will be okay."

"I can still come, I can still be helpful, _pleeease?"_ Embry persisted. Sam exhaled slowly again.

 **"Stay behind and take care of yourself."** The command hurt Embry to receive as much as it hurt Sam to deal. Forcing around pack brothers he was mentally bonded to and taking away their will wasn't the highlight of being their Alpha. _It was necessary_ , Sam comforted himself with. It didn't make it easier on anyone involved. Embry almost felt taken for granted. The Embry-wolf felt utterly betrayed, growling to hide how upset it was.

"It's because I care about you," Sam defended gently, heading for the door. He smirked and looked back towards his pack brother. "Hope you like midnight patrol."

Embry stuck his tongue out briefly. Sam rolled his eyes, smiling and amused, before taking his leave out the front door. Leah stayed behind and watched as Embry took an Advil.

"Sorry about him," Leah apologized on his behalf, half-meaning it, mostly saying it out of contempt for Sam's behavior that morning.

"Nah, I understand," Embry grumbled. "I just wanna be there with you guys though."

"Nothing will go wrong," Leah expressed. "I trust that it'll be fine. It's a peaceful mission."

"His stupid Alpha command was unnecessary," Embry complained, bouncing around to something else that annoyed him.

"It's because he's deeply troubled about you," Leah inferred. "He wants to make sure you won't do anything stupid or reckless without him knowing."

"Hrmpf," was Embry's reply. Leah and Embry were quite for a bit thereafter.

"I'll see you soon," Leah said to let him know she would be leaving.

"Hope so."

"Adios," Leah waved before leaving Embry's home.

『••✎••』

Leah could prominently feel the anticipation and nervous excitement building in Seth's gut as they neared the end of patrol. It was mere minutes before they were due to meet up with the convoy that was to try to negotiate with the vampires they all hated. None of them were particularly looking forward to it, except maybe Seth, but even _he_ had grown distant to the Cullens after the wedding. It somehow didn't stop him from feeling nervous and anxious just before they were due to leave.

 _Wha? I'm not nervous, who's nervous?_ You're _nervous. I'm not. Not me._

_Are you sure? Because you tend to ramble on like that when you're nervous._

_I do not! You know that I do not! You're spreading lies. Admit it._

_You're doing it again._

_I'm doing what again? See, now you're not even specifying what it is you're -_

_Seth._

_.. I may be a tiny bit nervous._

_No kidding._

The two felt a third enter in the form of Collin Littlesea.

 _You guys still here?_ Collin asked.

 _Yep,_ Seth answered.

_Well, uh.. you're free to go. They're meeting you uh.. right now. Somewhere east? East of me, anyways.. uh- Brady isn't far behind, I hope, so -_

_Thank you, Collin,_ Leah called, which she could tell made Collin happy. She phased seconds after, securing that her thoughts were private once again. _That kid has a worse rambling habit than Seth does._ Leah changed as fast as she could. She knew the Cullen party was already waiting for her, and she didn't want to keep them waiting. Leah could only hope her younger brother had the same sense of urgency. 24 seconds later, Leah was done and was on her feet heading East. Seth intersected her path at a sixty degree angle after a minute of walking. Wordlessly, he joined by her side as they walked together towards the meeting point. Jacob was the first pack member Leah saw as she approached the rendezvous zone.

"So kind of you to join us," Sam called out once she was within earshot, having heard her approach for at least 45 seconds prior with enhanced hearing.

"We're only four minutes late," Leah protested defensively. "The Cullens don't even know we're coming, anyways. We don't have to be there by a certain time, numbskull."

"I'm just joshing," Sam chuckled, not expecting Leah to argue so valiantly. "Alright, with Leah and Seth that makes how many?" Sam asked rhetorically before performing a head count quietly. He whispered the names to himself to keep them straight. "Leah, Seth, Jacob, Paul, Jared, Quil.. and me. That makes seven. Two-thirds," he confirmed to himself before looking towards the sky. "Billy would be so proud."

"Let's get this show on the road, Bosssam," Paul said energetically, grinning from ear to ear. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Is that gonna be a regular thing?"

"Still deciding on that one," Paul answered, still smiling idiotically.

The pilgrimage to the Cullens was an unusually quiet one. Despite traveling in a group of boisterous teenage boys and a semi-boisterous teenage girl, there was little noise other than the wind and the sticks crunching beneath their feet. Leah could tell by the way he was walking that Seth was still nervous, but she didn't want to make him feel bad by letting him know it was noticeable. She could only hope that he calmed down before they went head-on with the vampires, knowing that if the mood changer caught wind of his anxiety, it would make them seem less threatening.

Paul, who always had something stupid to say, was uncharacteristically quiet. Sam and Jared looked confident as always, though both were silent. It wasn't like Jared to keep his mouth shut for more than a few minutes at a time. Quil seemed cool as a cucumber, at least from behind him where Leah was standing, and he traveled next to Jacob. Jacob himself was near silent as well, despite him having the ability to hold a conversation with anyone in the pack about any topic, being so close to them all. He had embraced the instinctual feelings of brotherhood towards his pack members. Leah hadn't.

The Cullen house looked as bleak as ever. Leah slowed her pace as she approached it, remembering the monsters that were inside, and their accompanying smell. She wished Sam hadn't chosen her to come along. Being on par with Collin and Brady was worth it to her if it meant she could be far away from the mansion that stood before her. Negotiating with their natural born enemies wasn't particularly something Leah hoped to be doing on any given day, not to mention the air was almost hard to breathe. Leah would've put $20 to both Jared and Embry that the air was cleaner in Chernobyl than it was outside the home of Carlisle Cullen.

The pack had stood on the Cullen property for a few seconds, thinking it was odd they weren't already out there to meet them. Surely the scent of werewolf should've tipped them off to their approach.

"Maybe we should throw a rock at the window," Jared dryly suggested. Another few seconds passed. Sam started looking for rocks, just as Carlisle swung the front door open and came outside, crossing the lawn to meet them on the grass. Alice and Emmett were on his left, while Jasper and Rosalie took his right. Esme hovered in the doorway, watching over the conference from a safe distance. _They must've seen the pack's increased numbers,_ Leah reasoned internally. _All hands on deck, they figured._

"How nice it is to share your company again so soon," Carlisle complimented. Rosalie snorted, not sharing her father's opinion. Carlisle raised his hand to her slightly and brought it down again, continuing. "I can't say I recognize all in attendance."

"And you don't quite need to, either," Sam assured somewhat sourly. "They're all pack members, I assure you."

"I'm not doubting you, Sam. I'm sorry we haven't found anything about the paperclip people, but we did find out about the symbol," Carlisle offered. Sam waved a hand.

"Another time," Sam strongly insisted. Carlisle surrendered. "We held our seminar."

"And?" Carlisle pressed anxiously.

"The pack did not take kindly to the idea of renegotiation."

"Oh.." Carlisle stuttered, evidently very troubled by the news. "I hope a peaceful resolution is still possible."

"That depends," Sam shrugged. "A desire to renegotiate a treaty shows a desire to break it, after all."

"I don't want violence," Carlisle nervously assured.

"Whether or not you want violence, you _do_ seem to want to break our signed truce," Sam retorted. Carlisle sighed, seemingly working up a slight panic.

"My hand is being forced here, Sam," Carlisle sighed.

"So you admit it?" Sam sprung on him energetically. "Whether or not your hand is 'being forced', you said yourself that you want to break our treaty."

"I didn't say that!" Carlisle assured, waving his hands. "I only want peace between our groups."

"That's not possible without our truce," Sam aggressively reminded. "It's the only thing preventing a whole lot of violence between us."

"There has to be some other way," Carlisle insisted. Sam crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Ephraim Black was very clear with what he wanted, as were you with what you agreed to in 1936. Remember?" Sam prodded. Jacob beamed proudly to hear his great-grandfather mentioned.

"Very well," Carlisle confirmed. "But there are.. new complications that weren't present when I agreed to Ephraim Black's treaty."

"Such as?"

"A.. deal with the Volturi."

"You're _conspiring_ with those leeches now?" Paul accused.

"Now, now, I didn't say I was _conspiring._ They had us backed into a corner, you see. They would've killed my son Edward, and quite possibly Bella with him if we didn't.. promise to have Bella turned," Carlisle regretfully explained. Sam's eyes filled with rage as they pierced Carlisle's. He trembled in anger very slightly. Jasper was suddenly alert. Carlisle had to keep talking to keep the Quileute in front of him stable. "I didn't have a choice, Sam. They would have killed my son and your friend if we hadn't given them that.. the Volturi are ruthless and we knew they meant their threats."

"Are you taking our treaty as a mere _suggestion?"_ Sam articulated, trying to maintain an even level. With no Alpha above him, Sam couldn't fall back on being Alpha commanded; he had to stay calm all by himself. The pack silently applauded his efforts through seeing him strain himself. The pack was close behind in rivaled angered over what Carlisle was saying.

"Certainly not, but we promised two different groups two opposite things, and, well.." Carlisle started before trailing off. "I come to you hoping you will be more civil than Aro. I believe you are more reasonable and level-headed than he is, and you're more likely to compromise for the good of both groups. You're a good person, Sam, and I hope you'll do the right thing here."

"So you're begging me to let you break our treaty so that you can please a coven across the world, who you made a promise to knowing damn well you promised us the complete opposite?"

"It was _me_ who made the promise to Aro," Alice interjected shyly. "I just wanted everyone to live."

"You guys are _already_ dead, dammit!" Paul snapped.

 **"Paul,"** Sam ordered with his inherited Alpha voice. The command didn't go on, but Paul got the message and shut his mouth. Sam turned his attention back to the Cullen clan. "It shouldn't matter who made the promise. _Someone_ did, and that _someone_ evidently represents your family, the same family that agreed to keep off La Push and to not turn other humans."

"My hands are tied," Carlisle said worriedly. "I have no other options. I beg of you to do the moral thing, because I know that Aro will not."

"We're not altering the treaty," Sam declared. "You have to choose which group you'd rather betray."

"Please, I only want peace between all groups," Carlisle attempted to mediate. The rest of the Cullen family exchanged troubled glances behind Carlisle's back.

"That clearly isn't possible, though," Sam said. "Not when you gave two different promises to two different people."

"I don't want to betray either one of you."

"Not even the Volturi?" Sam asked incredulously. "The Volturi kinda seem like assholes anyways. I have to say I'm a fair bit offended that you would rather honor a verbal promise you made to a bunch of scumbags last Thursday over a written treaty you signed your name on almost a century ago."

"I just want to maintain non-hostile relationships with all the groups involved," Carlisle repeated, "but as it stands, somebody is going to have to change what they want, and you have more of a heart than Aro does, Sam."

"So you'd rather keep your promise to the heartless ones?" Paul interjected aggressively.

"Please, I didn't say that -"

"Like hell you did, at least twice now!" Sam protested, raising his voice to a near shout. Carlisle's panic grew as he tried to keep order.

"Everybody, let's stay calm -"

Nobody had interest in staying calm. The pack slowly approached the Cullens, with a few members on both sides ready for a fist fight. The noise steadily grew as the arguing drowned out any comprehensible voices. Carlisle turned to Jasper and whispered a firm "not now" to him before turning his attention back to the band of furious Native Americans on his lawn. Carlisle shouted to grab everyone's attention and quiet the area, with the two groups closer together than they were minutes before.

"Alright, alright.. let's take a step back.. and Sam, please tell me exactly what you're upset about."

"How long you got?" Sam scoffed. "Well, let's see.. you're planning on breaking our treaty in favor of a group of aristocratic leeches halfway around the globe, and now you're begging me to rework the treaty so that you can get away with it. I spoke about it personally with my pack brothers, the council, and the chief of the Quileute tribe. The consensus was clear." Sam raised his voice for emphasis. _"The treaty is nonnegotiable."_

"We understand," Carlisle added calmly, hoping it would calm Sam as well. Sam brought his voice back down but the anger remained.

"We aren't as dumb as you may think. We know you plan on turning Bella, and should you do that, there will be consequences of a very severe nature. When I'm 'upset' about is that you keep trying to pretend you aren't knowingly throwing us under the bus here."

Carlisle opened his mouth to interrupt, but Sam cut him off before he could speak, raising his voice again.

_"My pack has been fucked over by your people time and time again and you don't seem to genuinely care."_

His voice almost rattled the ground despite not being overly loud.

"I'm not trying to cause conflict," Carlisle began quietly, trying to bring the tone and atmosphere back down. "I'm sorry you feel we've mistreated you."

Sam merely growled loudly, courtesy of his wolf. Carlisle continued, knowing he wouldn't get an English answer.

"We understand everything you've told us today, but the Volturi expects Bella to be turned by her next visit, and it can be at any time."

"That isn't my problem," Sam spat. The argument was halted by a voice to the sidelines.

It all happened so fast.

"Stay back!" Emmett's voice called as he shoved Seth with both hands. Sam and Jacob teleported in between Emmett and Seth, with Jacob growling intensely and Sam breathing heavily. Sam struggled to keep his voice even when he spoke.

"Don't you dare touch him again or that _will_ be the end of you," Sam threatened. The bonfire in his eyes silently conveyed to everyone that he meant it wholeheartedly. Emmett took the hint. Before anyone could explain how bad an idea it was, Emmett made an attempt to push Jacob back full force as well. Sam dodged the shove in the nick of time, with the rage that followed pushing Sam to the verge of phasing. Jacob wasn't so lucky, giving in to the temptations to phase as the Quileute teenager assumed the form of the colossal wolf his fury convinced him to be. Primal rage was dangerous, both the wolves and the vampires knew. Despite his anger, Sam had to keep his pack orderly.

 **"Don't hurt anyone,"** Sam quickly commanded his wolf-like pack brother. It didn't ease his fury, but it did ease the cravings to grind Emmett into dust. The Jacob-wolf had to be pulled away from Emmett by Leah and Jared as Jasper and Alice moved to stand in front of Emmett protectively. The Jacob-wolf growled loudly through the crowd. Although the audience knew Jacob couldn't hurt him, it didn't comfort anyone. Everyone was on edge. Esme had vanished from the doorway and was hiding inside, not bearing to watch. Six teenagers, six vampires, and a giant wolf all held their breath for what would happen next. Not 5 seconds had passed after Jacob's phasing before Carlisle was talking a mile a minute again.

"I'm sure my son Emmett felt a little threatened, you're all rather large -"

"The kid is 15!" Paul shouted. "That's not fear, that guy was picking a fight!"

Arguments broke out once again. Most of the vampires couldn't take their eyes off the oversized wolf that growled menacingly just beyond Leah and Jared.

 **"Quiet down and keep your hands to yourself,"** Sam commanded, hushing his pack in an instant. Amazed as Sam's control over his pack brothers, Carlisle ordered his own family to stand down as well.

"Can you tell us what you know about Bella?" Quil asked innocently, as if he missed the last 3 minutes of intense fighting.

"You've no need to worry," Carlisle assured. "Bella hasn't been turned yet."

" _Will_ she be turned by the time she gets back?" Sam asked, still coming down from his angry outburst.

"It's unlikely," Carlisle reasoned. Quil shifted his attention to Alice.

"What can you tell us?"

"Huh?" Alice replied, flustered.

"Do you have any input, I'm asking?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, tell a fortune or something!" Paul shouted.

"I.. uh.." Alice stuttered, and then hesitated. "For whatever reason, I.. can't see the future with Edward and Bella."

"You're lying!" Jared quickly accused.

"Am not!" Alice shot back. Sam waved his hand violently.

"This is over," he declared loudly. Everyone listened to him. "There will be no renegotiation," he reconfirmed. "The treaty stays the way it is. And we're going to leave before there'll be any more _trouble,"_ Sam added, eyeing Emmett, then Alice, and lastly Carlisle. The pack turned around to leave, with the Jacob-wolf being the last to make a 180 in favor of glaring at the vampires more and growling before turning to leave with his pack brothers.

"Wait a moment," Carlisle called out. Sam turned around, annoyed, and looked at him expectantly. "A few days ago when we met last, one of your pack - brothers, do you call them? - was sporting quite the injury, and today they're absent. Are they quite alright?"

"Don't pretend like you actually care," Paul scoffed. The pack turned around again, readying to leave through the forest route once more.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't want to calmly discuss changing small parts of the treaty for everyone's benefit?"

"We can call the entire truce off, if that's what you'd prefer," Sam called, turning around to face him once again. "Burn up the treaty and scatter the ashes in the Pacific."

"That won't be necessary, Sam," Carlisle assured, his heart skipping a beat to the possibility of the treaty's absolute disposal.

"Then there's nothing else to talk about. We'll see each other again soon, don't you worry, but mark my words. I will _not_ forget what's happened here today."

"I understand," Carlisle said, his voice wavering a small bit.

The pack, leading the wolf among them away, disappeared into the forest, leaving behind an incomplete coven of troubled vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of the first compendium!
> 
> Originally, there was a two month hiatus between this chapter and the next that I won't include here. Just know that thematically the story might   
>  change a little for the next seven chapters, and the ROYGBIV titles will cycle back to R. Maybe you won't notice, but maybe you will. Either way I might as well utilize the space I'm given for notes.
> 
> Additionally, thanks to those that commented! I actually do like writing for Sam a lot and he's one of my favorite characters, but I'm also confined to canon for this story so I had to write what I thought he would do, even if it comes across as manipulative.


	9. The Call

There wasn't much left he could do.

He was desperately short on pieces. He only had one pawn to stand against my three. While he did have a free rook, so did I, along with a knight. I could tell with the subtle way the smooth features on his flawless face moved and wrinkled that he was worried. His precious king was doomed. We were up close witnesses to the downfall of the white pieces. The rest of the fallen comrades watched from just beyond the board as it became slowly more apparently that they were casualties on the losing side of a great battle. He moved the only piece that stood a chance. I smiled. I had him right where I wanted him.

Ignoring his offensive play, I had him backed in a corner. A knight pinned and a rook finished the job. I noticed my newly wed husband scanning the board for an escape route his king could take, but there was nothing for him to do, no way he could go. It was a done job. A checkmate.

"I let you win," Edward said at last, putting a cold finger over the cross atop the king and bringing it crashing to the ground in defeat. He wasn't used to losing.

"Doubt it."

"It's still your first win among, what, thirty losses?" Edward said coyly.

"More like twenty losses," I defended. I was bad, but I wasn't _that_ bad, was I? Even if I lost so many games I couldn't properly remember how many, thirty seemed like way too many. I know it didn't matter how many games I lost to him, though. I would spend the rest of my life playing chess with Edward if it meant I got to sit a foot apart from him for the rest of eternity. I would give any possession I owned to be physically close to Edward for every available second I had to give. Everything about him was perfect, masterfully crafted by some sort of all-powerful god, sent to me as a gift I'll never deserve. I've never been a big believer in past lives or future lives, but I must have been one hell of a saint in a past life to deserve Edward Cullen sent to me.

Nothing made me happier than legally becoming Isabella Cullen not two weeks ago. I got to marry the man I loved more than I considered possible. I consider myself the luckiest person just for having him in my life. Edward was truly flawless. The product of the gods dragging the perfection sliders all the way to the right for all settings in the creation program of the deities. Edward could have chosen anyone. He could have chosen Rosalie. And he didn't. He chose the plain girl from Forks who was dumb enough to develop feelings for him, knowing they were unrealistic from the start. And through some miracle, everything worked out and now I'm sitting across from the love of my life, having bested him in chess.

I somehow forgot that I won while staring into his eyes. Had I been playing anyone else, any human, vampire, fairy, even, it would have easily been the highlight of the hour and I would have remembered for at least a solid 10 minutes. Edward made me forget. Edward could make me forget every bad thing on the planet just with his presence alone. His words could make me forget my own name if they told me to. Never would I have guessed hormones and brain chemicals could produce a feeling of love as strong as the feeling of love I feel for Edward.

It didn't occur to me how long I was staring at Edward until that moment. He could've told me it was twenty years and I'd have believed him. I could stare at him forever. If it was up to me, I'd spend my entire life kissing him. His coldness didn't matter much to me, it just took some getting used to. After all, it wasn't absolute zero. It was just a little chilled. A refreshing cool in the natural uncomfortable heat of life. It was as if he was my personal pillar that warded off every uncomfortable feeling. Somehow, he feels the same way about me. The biggest miracle of my life so far, and likely ever. I could spend the rest of my days here on Isle Esme with Edward. We had our own slice of perfection all registered and packaged away for our use just off the coast of Rio de Jainero. I had a perfect island, a perfect house, and a perfect husband. I almost didn't want to go back.

But I knew I would eventually. There were people who needed me there, such as my new family, along with my old family, and a certain someone I've been avoiding thinking about.

My best friend. My closest friend. My dearest werewolf. My Jacob.

I still couldn't quite get over the atomic blast that had gone off in my head over Jacob Black. I had been so terrible to him and I couldn't give him anything back. Every time I tried to make it up to him I ended up hurting him more. For every brick I laid down to try to repair my bridge with him, I kicked two more down. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't be happy without knowing he was too. It was too late to change anything between Jacob and I now. Whether I liked it or not, part of me had an ionic bond to him. I couldn't exist without knowing he was okay. And I would know he was okay. I would make him okay if I would spend the rest of my life doing it.

I knew I couldn't do anything in Isle Esme, though. When I return to Forks, I would make it up to Jacob if I have to give him a kidney to do so. But for now, I shouldn't worry about the things I can't control. I should enjoy my time with Edward. We only get one honeymoon, after all, and I wasn't about to spend it sulking about something I promised I wouldn't sulk about. It occurred to me a second time that I was staring at Edward for an unnaturally long amount of time. He must have noticed because he smiled his brilliant smile and got up from his sitting position.

"I'll be right back," Edward promised, kissing me on the cheek before heading out of the room. I briefly wondered where he was going.

"Hurry back," I whispered after him. He nodded again and left the room, leaving me to clean up the board. It wasn't a hard task and it was done in 40 seconds flat. Edward still wasn't back by the time I was done and I was running short on things to do without him here. I wandered to the window and looked across the property and the water. I felt like I should be doing something. I wouldn't mind doing nothing if Edward was right next to me, but he wasn't with me for the moment, and I couldn't stop my mind from wandering again.

I wondered if I was ready for this. My transformation. I knew I didn't want to transform over my honeymoon; the pain would put a real wet blanket on things. I wasn't in the mood to spend three or four days writhing in pain during what would have been the happiest few weeks of my life. I knew I wanted Edward to transform me - it couldn't have been anyone else. But I still didn't know if I was ready to abandon everything I know and switch species halfway through my existence. It didn't feel natural, it felt like betraying the form I was born in.

And from another perspective, it would feel entirely natural. Becoming a vampire would let me truly become one with Edward. I could touch him without the coldness, wouldn't lose my time with him to sleep, wouldn't feel like a complete stranger to myself. I had to transform. And it had to be Edward that did it. I would do anything for Edward. Transform, even. Have a child if he asked. Marriage, to my utter dismay. Break Jacob's heart despite the searing pain it caused us both.

My phone started to ring from the table. I didn't get fantastic reception from Isle Esme but sometimes Charlie or Carlisle would like to call and check up with how things are doing here. I got to the phone by the second ring, noticing the caller ID was listed as Alice. I figured there was nothing to worry about as I answered the phone.

"Hello, Alice?" I answered, guessing the speaker was Alice. I figured Alice was only checking in on behalf of Carlisle. Usually it was Carlisle himself.

 _"Hey, Bella,"_ Alice greeted back. I noticed her voice was a bit rushed. _"How are things?"_

"Things have been phenomenal," I offered, surprised I had just used the word phenomenal. "The resort is absolutely perfect," I added, knowing it wasn't as perfect as the husband I had come to the resort with.

 _"Good, good,"_ Alice rushed again. _"Dumb question, have you been turned yet?"_

It struck me as a very odd and forward question. The type of thing she'd only ask at gunpoint.

"No, not yet," was all I could answer back. "But.. I don't know if I'm pregnant," I admit over the phone. It felt like I was lying, and I had to remind myself that I wasn't. Whether or not I really was pregnant, I honestly didn't know. Nobody seemed to have the knowledge on if it was even possible to bear a vampire's child, and if there's anyone out there who _did_ know, they were probably squashed by the Volturi by now. After I spoke, I noticed Alice went quiet but there were still noises. There were still voices. In the background, it sounded like she was standing in the middle of a group of people, all listening to my call. Was I on speaker phone?

 _"They may not like it if she has a baby,"_ was a sentence I could actually pick out. It sounded like Esme's voice. I couldn't help but think, who is _they?_

"Hello?" I called into the phone dumbly.

 _"Is there anything else you want to tell us, Bella?"_ Alice's voice was finally addressing me again, and her tone was still rushed. It almost sounded like an accusation.

"Is there something wrong?" I finally asked. I knew now this wasn't just a check-up. This was a situation, and they weren't being transparent with me. "Did you see something?"

 _"Hrm,"_ Alice's voice came through, followed by what sounded like a sigh. _"I wish I could see something, but I can't. Not with you."_

"Is someone playing with your blind-spots again?" I asked with a confidence in my tone that feigned I had cracked the case. "The Volturi?" I suggested blindly. Are the Volturi "they"? Alice choked something through the receiver but she was cut off and faded away into nothing. The arguments in the background elevated to the foreground, and after a while those voices faded out, too, and a clear voice could be heard again, but it wasn't Alice's.

 _"Nobody is playing with blind-spots,"_ Rosalie near spat as if I was oblivious to something obvious. Maybe I was. Nobody was talking to me. _"The hounds got their tails in a twist over something stupid and they damned-near killed Emmett while they were at it."_

"Huh?" I coughed through the phone in surprise. I was taken off guard to hear the wolves mentioned. Why were they at the Cullens? What were they doing there? Before my brain could generate another question, the other half of it clicked two things into place. The pack was "they". And "they" might not like a baby that could be part vampire. And "they" almost killed Emmett. I couldn't tell how long I was standing there processing it, but I couldn't hear Rosalie's voice anymore, only the background arguments again. I assumed all the Cullens were gathering around the phone, passing it around, all desperate to share their own sides of the story. I couldn't spare the head space to think about it; my mind was preoccupied trying to come up with a list of reasons I was misunderstanding something big.

The pack wouldn't kill Emmett. Would they?

The pack was made up of some of my closest friends. I had to trust them. And yet, I had sudden memories of all the times the pack came close to harming them. I remembered how much fun the werewolves seemed to have with fighting Victoria and her newborns. They were so excited to be killing vampires that Seth seemed genuinely upset that he couldn't participate. If they would happily slaughter piles of vampires, what's keeping them from harming Emmett besides an eighty year old piece of paper?

I shook my head. The pack wouldn't kill Emmett. They were dangerous, but they weren't Cullen-killers. I don't have the full story yet. Have faith in the pack.

 _"Heyo,"_ a voice that sounded like Jasper's greeted. While I was lost in thought, Rosalie must have surrendered the phone to Jasper.

"Hello, Jasper," I greeted as politely as I could without my anxiety showing in my voice. "Will you please tell me what's going on? The full story, unbiased?"

 _"Trust me. I was there,"_ Jasper reminded. _"What happened, in short, was that your dog friends came over a few minutes ago and started picking a fight. They were arguing and yelling and getting all pissed off to have a go at us over nothing,"_ he explained. I almost didn't believe what I was hearing. _"I've never felt such primal anger in someone before."_

"In who?" I asked. I feared the name he would say. _Trust the pack. Trust the pack._

_"The big one. The big dog on the block?"_

"Jacob?" I blurted. I didn't mean to say it but it came out anyway. I was terrified Jasper would say yes. I repeated my mantra more. _Trust the pack._

 _"Nono,"_ Jasper answered, seemingly confused. It was the biggest relief of the day. _"The one in charge. He stood in front."_

"Sam?" I offered in realization.

 _"Yeah, Sam,"_ he confirmed. It didn't sit with me any better. I had grown to like Sam. _"He kept talking like he was in charge of us. Was super angry and pushy and demanding. Got super annoying."_

"Yeah, that sounds like him, alright."

 _"He almost dog-i-fied, too,_ _"_ he scoffed. _"Talk about low self control."_

"Give them a break," I pleaded. "You guys have had much longer to master self control than they have. They've had a few months at best."

_"He still didn't need to talk as if he was calling the shots."_

"I suppose not," I offered. "Sam is trying his best, though."

 _"Fine,"_ Jasper grumbled. I thought I heard him mumble something about me being a "dog lover" but I couldn't properly hear him. I brushed it off regardless.

"Is everyone okay?" I questioned. I was still worried about Emmett but was too afraid of what the answer might be to ask. "Specifically Emmett?"

 _"Emmett is fine. We didn't let the mongrels touch him,"_ Jasper said. He sounded very proud of that last fact, and I was equally grateful nobody was hurt. Knowing that my new vampire family was okay was the new biggest relief of my day, and caused my anxiety to die down. Without worries left, I was no longer afraid to ask them any questions. I couldn't fight the curiosity over what the pack was doing there anymore.

"What was the pack mad about?" I asked, trying to force a disinterested tone into my voice to sound like I cared less than I did. I knew Esme and I were alone with our affection for the pack, and I didn't want to be ridiculed as a dog lover any more than I had in the past. So what if I was a dog lover? I liked the pack and I wanted them to be happy. Sue me.

 _"Something about their ancient pamphlet they still like to get worked up over,"_ Jasper answered. _"Carlisle's the signature on said pamphlet, though. And he did most of the talking when the dogs were barking. I take it he would know best."_ I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me. _"See you soon."_

"See you soon," I promised. The phone shuffled around without argument this time. I could already picture Alice scowling while her entire family handles her phone for her.

 _"Hello, Bella,"_ Carlisle greeted. I greeted him back so quietly he started talking over me, seemingly unaware I had even greeted him. _"Sam and his pack were very upset about a lot of things, namely Ephraim Black's treaty. They expressed concerns that we were coming close to breaking it, and I have no answer for them there. They reminded us that should we break our pact and, say, have you turned, they will likely attack us."_

"Please no," I whispered into the phone. I don't know if he heard me. I didn't care. I was terrified of the idea the wolves would attack, because I knew that there would be deaths on both sides in an attack like that. No matter who wins, I would lose two times over. "They didn't really attack Emmett, did they?" I was once again fearful of what the answer would be.

 _"Well, not exactly,"_ Carlisle explained. Wave after wave of big reliefs kept crashing on me. _"Rosalie didn't exactly tell the whole story,"_ he said. Rosalie could be heard arguing in the background briefly. _"What had happened was Emmett gently pushed a werewolf he thought was too close to him, the youngest one. Sam took it poorly, and one of the wolves phased. Nobody was hit and nobody was hurt, it was just an eruption of high tensions in the safest way possible."_

"Which one phased?" I asked. I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. I trusted Carlisle to be fair more than anyone else, and I still had a hard time picturing Emmett pushing Seth.

 _"I couldn't tell who it was, it happened pretty fast,"_ Carlisle answered slowly. It sounded like he was afraid of what I would say. It didn't ease my nerves.

"What color fur did they have?" I posed. "I can match a fur color to a wolf with my eyes closed."

 _"The wolf, in question,"_ Carlisle said slowly, as if stalling, _"had.. reddish-brown fur. Like rusted iron. Russet, almost."_ My palms were sweating. I didn't know what to make of it. I put my trust in Carlisle and I put my trust in Jacob. I told him to play nice. He promised he would. Jacob is a lot of things, but he's not someone who breaks promises on a dime, especially not to someone he loves. His loyalty is one of his strongest qualities. He would never attack a Cullen unprovoked, not if he knows how much they mean to me. I don't care how much restraint it took. Jacob wouldn't let me down. _Trust the pack. Jacob was defending Seth. It's instinctual._

"Are you guys safe from the pack?" I asked without meaning to. So much for trusting the pack.

 _"I'm not sure,"_ Carlisle admitted. _"We seem pretty safe right now. They like to live by their treaty, and we haven't done anything wrong yet."_

"Is the pack safe?"

_"The wolves are strong and smart. They'll be okay, I'm sure of it."_

"Smooth things over with them," I begged Carlisle, concerned for both parties. I couldn't bear to lose either of them. "The pack can be dangerous if they're angry," I added as motivation, as much as it stung to say it out loud. I knew the pack could be dangerous when they were angry. It didn't make it any easier to say out loud into the open air as if I wasn't trashing them behind their backs.

_"We're trying our best to tame the wolves, Bella, but.. they're still part wild animal."_

"Right, right," I answered, and I felt like the worst person on the planet. It took a second to hit me that I had called my closest friends wild animals and I didn't think twice about it. The friends who were ready to die for me protecting my bedroom late at night, the friends who fought a battle alongside their worst enemies to protect me, and the friends who treated me like their own at the bonfire after I had made my allegiance to vampires clear. The friends I had called wild animals almost by reflex. It suddenly made me uncomfortable to think of them as wild animals, but I also knew it was partly true, at least to some degree. None of them asked to be born with huge wolves inside of them, but that fact doesn't change it. They were part wild animal. It still didn't numb the uneasy feeling of Carlisle suggesting they needed to be "tamed", though.

Even if they were truly wild animals, it'd be cruel to tame them. I've seen their wolves. They aren't the monsters I once thought they were. They just like being free. With all that I've put them through, with all the terrors I've lured to Forks, their wolves deserve that much freedom, at least. They're still my Quileute friends. They can turn into giant dogs, but they're still my Quileute friends.

"Stay safe," I told Carlisle through the phone. "Did you get anything from the Volturi? Anything at all?"

_"Nothing official, though if they objected to your wedding they probably would've crashed it themselves."_

"Be careful," I warned. "If the Volturi ask about me, let me answer for myself in person when I get back."

_"And if you're not back when they pay a friendly visit?"_

"Tell them to call me or something, I don't know. Just keep them away until I get back however you can."

_"We'll try our best, Bella."_

"Don't tell them anything about the baby I may or may not be having. I don't know if they'd crucify me for it."

_"They will. We'll keep our mouths shut, but if they catch us lying, it could put us in big trouble. We'll do what we can."_

"And protect the wolves from the Volturi, too. They don't deserve to be caught up in this.. don't let Aro touch them."

_"We won't. The wolves can protect themselves. But.. the Volturi aren't exactly their biggest concern right now."_

"Oh?" I asked stupidly. How many nightmares could I attract to Forks, I wonder? I must be up to seven or eight by now. "Who, then?"

_"We're not sure. A new coven that identifies themselves with an old Volturi symbol."_

"They use an old Volturi symbol? How can you be sure it isn't just.. the Volturi?"

_"We can't be. One thing's for sure, though: the wolves are cutting them down like a hot knife through butter."_

"Good," I said. I was happy that the wolves were protecting both themselves and the Cullens from this new danger. "Did anyone get hurt?"

Carlisle paused.

 _"I don't know his name,"_ he answered after a few seconds. My heart dropped again. Carlisle didn't know his name, but he didn't deny that one got hurt.

"What was the fur color?" I asked like a moron. _He wouldn't know that, he probably wasn't phased._

 _"I can't be sure. He wasn't phased,"_ Carlisle said as if grabbing my thoughts and saying them out loud. _"It wasn't Jacob,"_ he continued, grabbing more thoughts I didn't even know I had and saying them back to me.

"Make sure they're okay, whoever they are," I begged. I was making a lot of requests today forgetting that the two groups didn't like each other, but I didn't care. The werewolves needed to set aside their prejudices for thirty seconds and accept the help of a real doctor when one of their own was injured. The werewolves were stubborn to a fault. "Chase them with a first-aid kit if you have to."

 _"I'll try,"_ Carlisle laughed. _"I'll talk to you soon."_

"Talk to you soon," I sighed in exhaust. Carlisle hung up first. Alice probably celebrated thousands of miles away to have her cellphone back in her own possession.

I sat down in the spot I had played chess just ten minutes before. I couldn't decide what to make of the conversation I had heard. The Cullens know I could be pregnant, the wolves are fidgety and unsettled, the Volturi could be hiding behind an old signal scouting me out, one of the wolves has a phantom injury I didn't know about and I'm way off in Isle Esme and couldn't do a thing about it. How could I protect the two groups of vampires and werewolves I love when they were at each others throats? I wanted them both to get what they needed to lead happy, successful lives, but they both want polar opposites and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I was surprised that Edward didn't return for the whole conversation. I could have used his input in a situation like that. They didn't even ask about him, they were so caught up in their wolf-talk. Even if Edward didn't say anything, just holding his hand could have fought off the jumps and falls in my blood pressure in response to events I wasn't there to see happening way off in Washington State. Wouldn't Edward have heard me talking? Where was he going, Bosnia and Herzegovina? I suddenly felt the distance between us. I grew restless trying to find him. He was probably just in the other room but he felt further than Carlisle was.

"Hello, love," he announced, reentering the room. The remaining distance between us I closed myself with a hug. "Who were you talking with?"

"Carlisle, and Alice, and Jasper, and.. everyone, really," I replied. I guess he heard the conversation after all. I was thankful my shield prevented him from reading my thoughts and wolf-related mantras.

"What were they calling about?"

"Stuff back home," I sighed. "I think we should go back soon. Our families need us."

"Why? What's going on back home?"

"The werewolves are getting antsy about God-knows-what, and they won't sit still about it, and there's a new group of vampires in the area using an old Volturi symbol that may or may not be here to kill us all," I answered in a casual voice. Edward took it all in.

"Oh, only?" Edward joked, before adopting a serious tone. "I won't let anyone touch you," he vowed. "Not Aro, not a dog, not anyone. Nobody will hurt you while I'm here."

"I know," I said, and I did know. He would protect me. In his protective hug, all the problems from Forks seemed so far away. The wolves would be fine. The Cullens would be fine. They've survived without me this long, they could go another week or two. The wolves were cutting down the new coven pretty easily, and they would keep doing so. I trusted the pack. They've been up and arms about their treaty since it was made, they can survive another two weeks for me to go back and talk some sense into them.

"I told you the wolves were dangerous," he murmured. I was tempted to believe anything he said simply because he said it, but I couldn't believe him when he said that. The wolves are dangerous, granted, but they aren't savages. There was an important difference. If they were as dangerous as Edward believed they were, they would've torn me and the Cullens apart ages ago. They didn't. _The wolves would be fine._ Thinking it made me realize I was one of the only people who loved them on a meaningful level. Surrounded by vampires who couldn't care less, it shows that they really do have nobody.

But they'll live. I was on my honeymoon, and I shouldn't think about the things that made me sad. _When I get back,_ I promised. _When I return to Forks I'll worry about the wolves._ _But I'm not in Forks right now. They're far away from here and they can't hurt us._

In Edward's hug, all my problems seemed almost astronomically far. It wasn't perfect in Forks. Wolves were sad because of me. The Cullens were worried because of me.

But I'm not in Forks. I'm here, in Isle Esme. And everything is perfect in Isle Esme.

Everything was perfect with Edward.


	10. Reactions

No sticks on the forest floor stood a chance against him.

Some were twigs, some were sticks, some were entire branches discarded by the strongest trees in a storm. It didn't matter how lowborn or highborn the mother tree was. Each and every stick, no matter how big or small, was no match for the paws of an enraged werewolf. Jacob split each and every stick that stood in his way. He would have split the forest floor itself if he stepped in the right spot. They would have to reinvent the Richter scale if the sticks didn't take the brunt of Jacob's rage.

"He's still pouting like a pup," Paul mused, laughing, as they traveled back towards La Push. Jacob grumbled loudly. The pack didn't dare say anything about it afterwards.

Jared, Leah, and Quil were tasked with watching over Jacob and making sure his rage stayed directed on the forest floor instead of on his pack brothers. They had orders to beat Jacob over the head with a rock if he tried to bite any one of them. Sam considered it a reasonable chance that he would. He felt thankful none of them had to share the pack mind with him, assuming the rage he was tumbling around in the pack mind could turn anything to plasma on the spot. The pack assumed he was putting off phasing because he wasn't near his clothes; now they were questioning on whether or not he was even able to, if the angry mindset prevented him from remembering how. Much of the pack felt pity for Collin and Brady, the patrol wolves without means to escape.

Leah and Quil jumped when Jacob snapped his jaw at something. Sam turned to face him, only to notice a broken stick in his teeth. The tired Alpha sighed. _I'm too old for this._

"How's the stick taste, Jake?" Paul teased. "Is it gourmet?" Jacob's perpetual growls raised in volume briefly to show Paul that he heard his comment and was growling specifically at him for it, before lowering it to the consistent background noise he had been supplying the group for the previous three minutes. Quil stood between Jacob and the nearest trees, which were to their left, to make sure Jacob didn't make a grab for them to root them out of the ground. Jacob tried to get past Quil several times, but Quil wouldn't allow it. He felt safe knowing that no matter how many trees he stopped him from getting to, Jacob wouldn't hurt him.

"Would you lower the volume already?" Sam ordered, annoyed. There was a finite about of wolf growling his sanity could handle hearing at one time. Jacob raised his growling in direct defiance. Sam considered giving him the same order with a touch of Alpha command, but decided against it. He could tough out listening to his pack brother growl his throat off if it meant he got to exercise free will. Jacob's mere growling alone put the rest of the group in an annoyed mindset.

"Can you _believe_ that guy?" Paul asked rhetorically. "Dr. Fang, whatever his name is? He has some nerve, lemme tell ya. What ludicrous demands they made!"

"Not to mention the big one going around shoving little kids," Jared added angrily. Sam knew the pack was in trouble when Jared started giving in to anger. Quil ducked his head a little to protect his ears from the yelling of the pack, knowing his attempts were futile.

"I'm not a little kid," Seth quietly protested, trying to hide behind Leah to get away from the yelling. Leah gently pushed him away with her free hand to protect him from the Jacob-wolf.

"You're the youngest," Jared rationalized in a calmer voice. Any pack member would struggle to raise their voice to Seth in any scenario.

"Doesn't make me a little kid."

"Okay, can we all just stop?" Sam near-yelled. He knew he had to raise his voice to be louder than whoever was shouting the loudest, not expecting his volume to be so loud when it came out. Seth cowered slightly, thinking he was in trouble. Jacob's soft growling was the only constant. Sam assumed his voice would get tired soon. "Everyone here needs to calm down."

"Calm down?" Paul asked loudly, his anger resurfacing worse than before at the notion of him needing to relax. "I'm not letting those leeches step all over us, Sam."

"I'm not either, we -"

"You sure _act_ like you are! You opted for a calm discussion with the people who ruined everything we know!" Paul shouted. Sam wasn't in the mood to argue.

 **"Don't phase,"** Sam commanded. It was the best he could offer and the only thing he knew wouldn't lead to anything unmanageable for him. Sam didn't want to deal with any more lupine teenagers on his hands. Jacob was already more than he bargained for. The command went over Jacob's head, not affecting him, to Sam's surprise. The Jacob-wolf quieted slightly but the growling continued, spitting in Sam's direction.

"Fine. What _are_ we gonna do with the Cullens, then? Hm?" Paul prodded.

"Roast them over an open fire," Jared suggested. Sam waved him off.

"If things don't change in the next few weeks, I'll light the grill myself. Until then, we have to give things time to settle," Sam begged.

"You like those monsters, don't you?" Paul accused. "You have sympathies for the Cullens. You're always against violence towards the bloodsuckers we're made to protect from."

"Do you _want_ violence, Paul?" Sam asked, rendering Paul silent save for a few grunts of annoyance. Jared, calmer though still angry, approached Sam's right side.

"We can't take something like this lying down, Sam," Jared reminded. "Things are boiling over and we're just sitting on our hands not doing a damn thing."

"I'm doing the best I can to minimize losses. I don't want a war and nothing is even certain with Bella yet, and she's the root of all the problems," Sam replied. Jacob's growling raised again to show Sam that he was aggravated with that particular sentence, but Sam wasn't having it. "You know it's true," he snapped. "Bella is turning out to be more trouble than she's worth."

Jacob suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, a crushed twig beneath both paws. Quil and Leah were on the alert, looking around the pack for silent advice. Jacob growled as loud as his tired throat would allow him to to catch Sam's attention. Sam didn't stop at first, casting it aside as Jacob being a moody piece of work.

"Sam," Quil tentatively called to catch his attention, prompting Sam to turn around and notice Jacob's fighting stance. Sam could only groan and sigh.

"As much as you're pissing me off right now, I'm not fighting you, Jake," Sam declined, turning around and continuing the walk back to La Push. Jacob swung a paw at the open air as if to try to grab Sam and bring him back to force him into a fight. Even if it wasn't a fight, Jacob would have liked to beat Sam up. Or at least tear his ear off or something minor. Quil erased those fantasies with a simple hand on the shoulder. It didn't soothe his fury, but it did ground him and awaken his sense of logical reasoning. Jacob crushed the sticks as he walked out of spite.

"But -"

"Quiet down for a few minutes, Paul," Sam pleaded. "Do you always need to be arguing?"

"Only when -"

 **"Quiet, Paul,"** Sam ordered. He normally wouldn't drain a pack member's free will in the wink of an eye, but he had enough of Paul Lahote for the day. Paul grumbled. The pack marched in relative silence, La Push feeling a lot farther than it was. Not long after, two wolves on the smaller end of the spectrum nervously stumbled across their path. Collin and Brady. The two cowered behind Sam, putting their Alpha in between them and Jacob. Sam found this unusual; this two pups were terrified of him. The only time they would use Sam as a shield is if they were hiding from something that scared them even more. The pack noticed how every once in a while, Jacob would growl unevenly loud, and Collin and Brady would flinch a little. It didn't take long for Sam to connect the dots.

"What are you doing to them, Black?" Sam accused harshly. Jacob merely coughed out a laugh and smirked. Sam sighed for the tenth time in the last ten minutes. **"Lay off of them,** **"** was what felt like Sam's eighth Alpha command of the day. Jacob's growling quieted, but a scowl formed on his face. "They don't deserve your dump truck of rage just for being phased." Brady twitched uncomfortably and sniffled, trying to trail off. Sam caught him in the corner of his eye. "Wait, kid," Sam called out. "Stay. This is a pack decision and you're pack brothers," he promised, stopping Brady in his tracks. Only after did Sam regret calling him 'kid'.

"Pack brothers," Paul quietly scoffed under his breath, glad the Alpha command expired. The pack heard, but the pack didn't react to him, Paul's banter often falling on deaf ears. Jacob stealthily and silently maneuvered around Quil and readied himself to pounce on a nearby shrub. Before he could spring, Quil jumped in front of him.

"Stop," Quil ordered, mixing firmness and gentleness as best he could. Jacob persevered, and Quil held his hand out in a stop sign. "Off," Quil ordered again. Jacob backed off.

"We need to talk to Billy," Sam decided. The pack mumbled words of approval for the idea. "But someone's gotta stay behind on patrol, and someone's gotta look after the furball," he continued. Jacob snapped at the air hearing the way Sam referred to him. Quil stumbled forward in surprise. Sam smirked to his pack brother's childish outrage before looking around the pack, ready to single out who would take over patrol. "Collin and Brady, you can head home. Protect the tribal secret."

The two were out of sight before he could even turn around. He watched them with disappointment, still sensing their fear in him.

"As for patrol, Quil and Seth will take over patrol until we're done with Billy. We'll follow this morning's schedule thereafter," Sam declared. The pack looked around to each other in confusion.

"Isn't Seth's partner usually Leah?" Jared questioned.

"Usually," Sam confirmed. "Leah's needed elsewhere, though. She's going to look after Jacob."

"Wait, wait! Objection!" Leah called, raising a hand in protest. Jacob's protests, although wolfy, were just as prominent. "Why can't you ax Jared? Or Paul? Or someone who actually enjoys Jacob's company, maybe? Literally anyone in this pack will fare better than me. I was just on Jacob-duty like, last week!"

"I need Jared to be my stand-in Beta to report to Billy while my _real_ Beta is angrily wolfing around the forest," Sam explained. Jacob squinted at Sam and rolled his eyes, calmer than before. "How many strikes do you have with those eye rolls of yours? I bet it must be a 300 game by now." Jacob's growls were quieter than before and bordered on stopping altogether. "Alright, everyone knows their jobs. Let's get to it."

"Be good," Quil whispered to Jacob before trailing off with Seth. Leah wanted to protest but knew she wouldn't get far, waiting off to the side with Jacob as everyone else left the area. Sam led Jared and Paul towards La Push and Leah and Jacob were left alone together. Leah's only comfort was listening to the footsteps of her pack brothers dim until they faded altogether and she could no longer pretend she wasn't alone. Leah suddenly felt unsafe to be the only one in the presence of Jacob. She took a deep breath and tried to appear more confident than she was.

"Phase back."

The words weren't a request; they were a command. If it was up to Leah, it would've repeated twice in an echo the wolves were unable to resist. It wasn't up to her, though, and instead of listening, Jacob shook his big head as means to refuse her.

_"Phase back."_

The words came harsher the second time, as did Jacob's response. He squared her off and approached her in a way that conveyed he wanted a fight. He showed his teeth for the first time, and Leah got the hint. Don't push the wolf. It doesn't care who you are, or whose pack you're a part of. Tell him to phase again and he'll slide you across a cheese grater. Leah grumbled and took a step back. Taking it as a sign of weakness and fear, the Jacob-wolf began circling Leah almost threateningly, growling all the way. The sound of Jacob's growling was more threatening than it was a few minutes ago back when it was just a constant white noise. Now it was a real threat.

"If you wanna yell at me, you should know I can't hear you. You'll need to phase if you want me to hear all the terrible shit I'm sure you're yelling at me."

Jacob turned away from her, releasing her from his siege. He walked a few yards away before looking back at her over his shoulder.

"Phase back," Leah commanded, albeit quieter and calmer. "Please," she added for good measure. Jacob rolled his eyes and groaned before pointing at her with his good paw and pointing at the ground below him before running off. Leah stayed put, interpreting his message. Without a proper manual on the best ways werewolf packs should communicate, the Quileute had to form their own language, affectionately called Wolfite. Any pack member could vouch that a wolf pointing at someone and pointing at the ground below them was Wolfite for "stay here".

Leah stood there for what could have been a minute and could have been a year. It grew hard to tell. Leah started to wonder whether Jacob outright ditched her. Eventually, after what Leah deemed was way too long, Jacob returned to where Leah was told to wait with the standard wolf pack attire.

"What took you so long?"

"The woods are big," Jacob defended. His voice was still evidently annoyed. "I couldn't find you. Besides, I didn't even take that long. Did you leave your sense of time with the leeches?"

"Someone's still angry."

"Yeah, good observation, Clearwater," Jacob snarled. "Nobody is taking this seriously but me!"

"What's the correct way to take it? Dr. Fang said what he said. Sam took it the way he took it," Leah defended.

"Well what about us? We're pack members too, right? I'm his damn Beta!" Jacob yelled.

"You are. A Beta who phased at the meeting and made us look bad."

"How did I make us look bad? I'm sorry for phasing to protect my pack brother, your _real_ brother -!"

"The leech coven likes to think of us as wild animals. As dogs, mongrels, you name it. Phasing at the meeting made us look like exactly that. Animals with no self control."

"And you're saying that's my fault?" Jacob asked rhetorically. He thought he had Leah cornered.

"Precisely," Leah said bluntly. Jacob flinched slightly as if he didn't expect her to answer that way. He expected her to defend him at least a small bit.

"You can't say it's my fault that those bloodsuckers are terrible people. We shouldn't have let them push that kid," Jacob said angrily.

"That _kid_ is still my brother, mind you. He's not a kid anymore. He can handle being pushed. Phasing and jumping to his aid made it look like he can't protect himself in front of the enemy."

"So you admit they're the enemy?"

"When did I say they weren't?" Leah questioned, confused. "I'm saying you're overreacting. Nothing more and nothing less," Leah answered. Jacob was quiet for a few seconds after.

"Why're you even here? Sam's not watching you this time, either."

"I'm confident he'll come watch us later, and if you're not with me then, you might as well have just ditched me earlier because _anything_ would be overtime to Sam," Leah reminded, knowing that if Jacob and Leah weren't together when he checked, he would be quick to assume they were never together for even a second after he left for Billy's. "I don't know about you, but I'm kinda sick of the woods. I've had enough forest for the day. Enough for the week, even."

"Where do you propose we go, then?" Jacob asked in a steadier tone. "I don't think I can go back home if the pack is there congregating without me."

"My house is free," Leah offered. She figured Sue wouldn't mind if she brought a pack member over. He didn't even need to go inside if he didn't want to. Jacob thought on it.

"Nowhere else to go," Jacob conceded, moving to stand behind Leah, ready to follow her. "Lead the way."

Leah silently trekked towards where she thought her house was. She wasn't entirely sure, considering the middle of the woods looked essentially the same from all directions, but she knew where her house was in relation to Jacob's, so she used the direction Sam went in as a guide. Leah tried to use her hearing to pick out which direction Sue's voice was in, but they were too far to get decent reception. Jacob trailed her wordlessly the entire time. Leah wondered if he would even notice if she lead him in circles considering his brain was likely still clouded with anger. After a moment of consideration, she decided she was too nervous to try it on an edged pack brother.

Two minutes of silence passed between the two of Leah hoping she was heading in the right direction before a flash of sand crossed her pack before backtracking and standing in front of Leah. The Seth-wolf's only two faces were extreme focus and determination and the dumbest wolfy smile imaginable. Leah almost felt embarrassed that her own flesh and blood had stopped in the middle of his patrol to sit on the path and look at her with an idiotic grin.

"Hey, Seth," Leah greeted. She figured she might as well make use out of the tool that had intersected them. "Am I going in the right direction? Can you hear mom's voice?"

Seth turned in a few circles that made it look like he was chasing his tail before turning back to Leah, slightly dizzy. He nodded and pointed down the path towards their destination.

"Thanks," Leah managed, strolling past her brother. She heard him lope off into the distance afterwards. Leah was too embarrassed to check what Jacob's reaction to the whole ordeal was. Turning around to check how far behind he was, she noticed he no longer looked angry, as if Seth constantly radiated positive feelings. Leah was caught off guard to see a blackberry roll past her shoe. She turned back to Jacob again and noticed him smirking.

"That's something my relatives would do sometimes. A long standing Black tradition," Jacob explained. "The game is essentially to see how far you can roll a blackberry or a rock or something small and roundish down a road without it falling off the road to either side."

"And what happens if it goes off?"

"Execution."

"Huh?" Leah stuttered. Of all the things Jacob could've said at that moment, that ranked near the bottom. Jacob's grin widened.

"It just means you lose. For that berry, anyway."

"Sounds like a pretty dumb game," Leah mumbled.

"Oh, it is. Try it," Jacob urged, handing her a blackberry. She turned it over in her hands and examined all the bumps on it.

"This one's broken. It isn't round."

"Extra challenge," Jacob rationalized. "Go ahead, underhand."

Leah thought it was the stupidest thing in the world. She prayed that nobody was watching her. Leah would've preferred to cross Seth every 20 yards than roll a blackberry down a dirt path on Jacob Black's request. Leah was never excellent at bowling, and what Jacob was doing was aimless bowling without pins. She wasn't clear on what denoted a winner or a loser. _Maybe it's just for fun,_ the critical part of her mind explained. Leah rolled her eyes. She definitely didn't miss that voice.

"The road isn't getting any flatter," Jacob reminded. Leah checked both sides quickly, making sure Seth wasn't watching or Quil wasn't lurking. Knowing that Jacob wouldn't let her off the hook, she flung the blackberry down the road. It bounced three times before veering off to the left. Leah winced, hoping it would stop and that friction would prevail. Unfortunately for her, the berry was already off the road before friction could stop it. A losing roll.

"Uh oh, looks like it's the hanging tree for me," Leah said, feigning disappointment. "Oh well, such is life. I'd like to leave all my possessions to Dr. Fang."

"It just means to try again," Jacob laughed. Leah found herself smiling back, forgetting how threatening and scary Jacob looked in his wolf form circling her less than twenty minutes before. Leah never expected she would find traces of fun in throwing a berry down a road and holding her breath hoping it wouldn't bounce off. Jacob handed her another berry from a different bush. "This one's bigger and rounder."

"Rounder is better.. right?"

"Just the opposite," Jacob promised. "Round things roll. Just see," he added, revealing his own berry similar to Leah's and rolling it like a pro-bowler down the dirt path. His rolled instead of bouncing, catching a lucky break and stopping in a rut just shy of the edge of the road. "Well, I've been doing this since I was little. I know how to roll round berries. You'll get good at it."

Leah near completely forget how she was bad-mouthing the game just forty-five seconds prior. She rolled the berry around in her closed hands as if she was about to roll dice, and rolled the berry down the road.

"It has the distance," Jacob narrated, commentating the roll in real time. "Aaaand.. it catches a rock and it's off the road," he continued. "Two fatal rolls for the American berry rolling team at the hands of Leah Clearwater. Looks like they're not going to finals this year."

"Shut up," Leah said quietly, turning to the left to hide her smile. She didn't want to show Jacob her happiness, knowing it would go straight to his head.

The Clearwater house appeared quicker than Leah would have expected. The walk felt shorter when they were doing something. While Leah perfected her berry rolling skills, the pair spoke about anything but the Cullens. Leah knew it would be a sensitive subject and that Jacob had a tendency to blow everything out of proportion on very short notice. When the dirt road fizzled out and faded into forest floor, the pair was forced to stop the berry rolling and walk the remaining 10 yards without it. Sue wasn't outside, but Leah remembered that she hasn't seen them since before she left for patrol that morning.

Leah sat down on the porch and Jacob followed suit. A pleasant quietness fell over the two as they both looked around awkwardly, both thinking about what Sam could have been saying. Jacob feared he would have to answer to Billy later in the day about his phasing, which Sam was no doubt playing up as disruptive and dangerous. Leah considered what Sam could have been telling Billy about the Cullens, and what they might plan to do as a response.

"Oh, hello," Sue said cheerfully upon heading out her back door. "How are you, Jacob?"

"Not dead," Jacob replied. Sue chuckled in dry amusement.

"Where's your brother?" Sue directed towards Leah.

"Patrol," Leah and Jacob answered simultaneously. The two looked at each other immediately. _"Jinx!"_ The two were tied for the tiebreaker as well.

"Will he be back before dinner?" Sue asked, smiling at how well the two werewolves seemed to be getting along.

"Probably," Leah shrugged. Sue was satisfied with the answer.

"Well, I'm heading out. Don't burn the house down," Sue ordered. Jacob feigned disappointment.

"Aw," he moaned. "What am I gonna do with all the matches, then?"

"Dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way," Sue suggested before leaving the property. Jacob would've called out to her but didn't want to disturb any neighbors.

Another silence engulfed the two werewolves. With Sue gone, it was truly just them. Jacob still couldn't prevent himself from thinking about everything the Cullens said. He tried not to let it show how worked up he was getting on the outside. Leah was stuck in thought on the two wolves on patrol. She beat herself up for feeling embarrassed by Seth. She loved Seth, and yet, she didn't like it when he was seen in his wolf form in front of her and Jacob. Leah couldn't tell why. And then there was Quil, the pack brother who'd been nothing but nice to her but also got her chewed out by Sam when his flimsy thoughts leaked their interaction to Jared. Leah wasn't sure what to do about Quil Ateara V.

"Look," Jacob said to break the silence. "I'm sorry about before."

"I don't fully blame you," Leah said.

"Thanks."

"You're not entirely innocent, you know. I still do blame you a lot, even if it's not fully."

"I know."

The pair were silent again. Leah would rather be talking about anything to Jacob, even if it meant him yelling at her, instead of the awkward silences that kept befalling the group. Leah assumed he wasn't in the mood to calmly discuss the confrontation, so she had no choice but to let the wind make the only noise between them. Leah only had to tough it out for a matter of minutes before Sam returned.

"Salutations, comrades," Sam called out as he crossed the lawn. "It's good to see you _human_ again, Jake," he complimented. "I had my doubts when I assigned Leah to you." Jacob's response was a quiet grunt. Leah silently felt a tad upset that Sam doubted her abilities before he even sent her on the mission, but she bit her tongue.

"How did things go with Billy?" Leah asked to change the subject. Sam frowned to the memory.

"He was upset with the pack's behavior," Sam started. "Specifically with his son."

"Figures," Jacob mumbled.

"He wants us to go back to the Cullens and apologize within the week," Sam explained.

"That's completely idiotic," Jacob criticized.

"Yeah, it is," Sam agreed, surprising Leah and Jacob. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him."

"I'll try my best," Jacob promised, getting up. "I'll talk to you later," he promised again. Leah couldn't tell whether he was talking to her or Sam. Before she could ask, Jacob was out of sight. She could hear him whistling an unfamiliar song as he walked away, even though she couldn't see him. Leah could still sense Sam's presence and could feel his eyes on her.

"You're allowed to leave too, Sam," Leah said. She wished her voice sounded colder than it did.

"I know."

"I don't know when Sue will be back, but I'll say hi to her for you," Leah promised as motivator.

"Thank you," Sam replied, still not leaving. Instead, he sat down on the porch railing. "I wanna see Seth," he insisted. Leah nodded, still not thrilled about Sam refusing to leave. "And you," he added so quietly Leah had to do a double take to make sure he actually said it. She felt like she should scoff or make some sort of annoyed sound, but nothing happened.

"I'll allow it," Leah said quietly.

"Did I need your permission to stay?"

"You did. But now you have it. Until Seth shows up, anyway."

"Good to know."

By this point, Leah was used to the person she was with being silent. The silence between her and Sam was different than the silence between her and Jacob. This one wasn't nearly as awkward. Leah didn't feel pressured to be talking for the sake of talking. As much as she's grown to dislike Sam for things out of his control, she would always feel comfortable being quiet around him. They simply knew each other too well. It was just like old times. Before the sun set, Seth returned to the Clearwater home. He could sense that Sam was there, and was immediately put on edge. It was Leah who noticed him first.

"Hey, squirt," Leah called out to her brother. Her voice startled Sam, him having gotten used to the silence.

"You're back earlier than I thought," Sam commented. Seth misinterpreted his tone to be one of accusation and criticism.

"Y-yeah, well, Jared phased in and.. told Quil and I that we could.. well, technically it should be "me and Quil", but, y'know.. a-anyways, he came in and - well, he _phased_ in, is a better word, and.."

"Alright," Sam said, cutting off Seth's rambled, raising a hand. Sam's amusement grew with every passing second as Seth delivered his apology in what looked like genuine fear and worry. "Don't give yourself a headache. Relax. You're not in trouble."

"Why're you here?" Seth asked somewhat nervously, looking around to avoid eye contact.

"Came by to deliver some news, lingered for a bit," Sam explained, getting off the railing and slowly approaching Seth. Seth slowly dodged him, walking in a large arc around him to get to Leah without having to cross by Sam. Sam sighed as quietly as he possibly could, knowing his attempts were futile to the young Quileute, his hearing being the best in the pack. "It's been a while since I've really seen you, Seth."

"Has it? I haven't noticed," Seth replied anxiously.

"It has. At least a few days, maybe more," Sam said, without wanting either Clearwater to know that he had been keeping count. Five days, it had been, not including brief moments where Seth stood alongside Sam at the Cullen confrontation. Sam longed for a real interaction with the kid he watched grow up and helped raise. "It's been a while, bottom line."

"Oh," Seth voiced, suddenly feeling extraordinarily guilty. He was silent afterwards, fearing anything he said would make it worse. Leah watched the scene in silence, silently scolding her brother for not keeping his promise. _He promised he wouldn't run from Sam anymore._ The logical part of her mind seemed bent on proving her wrong, as if its only mission in life was to make her look like a fool. _He only promised to try._ Leah sighed, getting up to lean on the railing, surrendering her spot on the steps to Seth. _He isn't trying very hard._

The Sun had gone down and La Push was well into the golden hour. The werewolves could see in the dark just fine, but they could still tell it was dark for the unaided eye. Sam sat down on the steps next to Seth, leaving a fair amount of distance, wary not to scare Seth away just by being there. The trio was mostly quiet apart from a few noises that came about just by their movement. Sam had been desperately trying to reconnect with Seth for so long he had no idea how much time he'd been at it. He knew it was unlikely things would change tonight.

A brief glow caught Sam's eye, and then another further off in the distance. Sam smiled modestly, sprouting an idea. _Maybe it could._

"Have you ever caught a firefly before, Seth?" Sam asked. The question took Seth off guard.

"No," was his half-stunned answer. Sam was pleased by his answer, slowly getting up.

"I'll teach you," Sam vowed. "Follow me, move slowly, and stay quiet," he implored before heading off into the yard, putting his trust in Seth that he would follow his instructions. Hearing Seth's footsteps, Sam smiled again. He lead him a few meters into the yard, Seth trailing behind a ways. "Alright," Sam spoke, lowering his voice. "I know your instinct is to not touch bugs, but fireflies don't bite, got it?"

"Got it."

"You have nothin' to fear. As soon as you see a flash," Sam paused, waiting for a firefly to show itself, unknowingly volunteering to be used as an example. It only took a quarter of a second. "Follow it. I know you'll see a lot of other flashes in your peripheral vision, some might be closer than the original. But you see a flash, you stick to it, or you'll never catch anything, got it?"

"Got it."

"So when you're close enough, you.." Sam faded his quiet words out, opting to show and not tell. In a quick motion, Sam cupped his right hand and swiped the firefly straight into his hands. "That. Do that," he said, finishing his sentence and turning around to show Seth what he had caught. Once it had glowed on the comfort of Sam's hand, he released it into the air. Leah watched from the porch and applauded his skills silently.

"How long do you have to wait before you can catch the same one twice?" Seth asked, fearing it was a dumb question.

"Twenty-two and a half seconds precisely."

"Huh?"

"It doesn't matter how long," Sam whispered, smirking. "Go for it."

Seth followed Sam's instructions. Once he saw a flash, he head straight for it. The other flashes were hard to ignore, especially the ones that lit up an arm's length away. _Surely it would be less trouble to just catch this one,_ Seth though, questioning Sam's advice. He opted to stick to it in the end. Once he was close enough to the firefly to catch it, he hesitated.

"What if I crush it?"

"You won't."

"What if it walks on me?"

"It will."

"What if it feels weird?"

"You won't feel it."

"What if -"

"Shhh," Sam soothed. "You worry too much. Just catch it. You won't hurt it."

Hoping that Sam was right, Seth swung at the firefly and missed. _Strike one,_ Leah thought from afar. Seth tried again and the firefly evaded him once more. _Strike two._ The firefly was almost out of reach and Seth had to actively move to catch it. Seth cupped his right hand to avoid swatting at it, and tried a third time. The third time wasn't the charm for Seth Clearwater. _I'll call that one a ball._ Seth tried a fourth time, and finally secured the firefly on his hand. Not knowing what to do next, Seth looked at Sam for advice.

"Show it here," Sam asked, prompting Seth to turn his hand as the firefly glowed. "Good job," he complimented. As Seth looked on in light amazement at the insect in his hand, Sam looked on in light amazement at the young Quileute holding it. Seth let it fly away as he turned back to Leah, who gave him a thumbs up from across the yard. "My work here is done," Sam said quietly as Seth walked back to his porch.

"Thanks for the lesson, Sam," Seth said quietly, spinning to face where Sam had been.

By the time he turned around, Sam was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe you've been keeping count, maybe you just love trivia, but this was the first chapter to not have a pagebreak. It was all one continuous scene. Woohoo for milestones!


	11. Odd One Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short piece of trivia before we begin - I believe every pack member has at least one line of dialogue in this chapter, save for Embry. If I'm wrong I give you all full permission to throw rocks at me until I die like in the Lottery.

For once, Leah woke up at a reasonable time.

While Leah usually stayed in bed for a solid five minutes trying to scrap together the energy to tackle another day head-on, today she didn't waste any time rolling out of bed and heading into the kitchen immediately. Despite feeling dizzy from standing up too fast and then pushing the dizziness by walking down the hall and across the house, Leah managed to greet her mother as if she'd been up for hours. The first thing she noticed was that Seth was absent; only Sue was there, who gave her daughter a confused wave. Leah waved back, the dizziness having subsided.

"Good morning to you too, Lee," Sue greeted, half-expecting Leah to say the first word.

"Fair morning, mother," Leah answered, still visibly and audibly tired.

"Can I get you anything?"

"What is this, a bed and breakfast?"

"It is now," Sue said, grinning. "What'll it be, valued patron?"

"Just some water for now, garcon," Leah replied, realizing how thirsty she was. As soon as Leah turned around to face her mother, Sue had her glass of water ready. Leah almost stumbled back, not expecting her to be so efficient with getting it. "How did you.. get that so fast?"

"You always have water," Sue explained. "It's been sitting on the counter for a few minutes now."

"Oh," Leah offered, taking the glass of water and moving it in a circle to stir the water around the glass. "Right," she offered, swirling it around a few more times. Sue wondered if she was going to drink the water or if she planned on just looking at it. "Ah, what the hell. Put some salt," Leah asked, handing the glass back to her mother. Her mother looked surprised at first but soon smiled back. "Gotta see what Sam's raving about."

"You used to drink his saltwater concoctions all the time. It won't be much different this time, will it?" Sue asked over her shoulder as she added several dashes of salt. "You two used to go through entire bags of salt in just a few months. It probably wasn't super healthy, but you never showed high sodium on your blood work," she continued, handing the freshly salted glass back to her daughter, who didn't waste a second drinking half the glass at the drop of a hat.

"It isn't bad," Leah allowed, waiting a few seconds before wincing. "I take it back, this thing has just the worst aftertaste," she corrected, near spitting it out. She set the glass down on the table and wished to forget it was even there. "How did Sam and I drink those like they were.. normal? How does Sam _continue_ to drink that to this day? It tastes terrible," she choked out, spitting into the sink.

"Really? I thought so too. That boy has some strange taste, I'll tell you that," Sue said, watching her daughter without helping, secretly amused. Sue was distracted by two knocks on the door.

"I uh.. hope I'm not intruding on anything.. personal," Quil said upon slowly entering. It wasn't everyday he walked in on someone spitting into their sink while their mother watched and did nothing about it.

"What's that in your hand?" Leah asked, turning to face him, noticing Quil was holding a medium sized piece of ripped cardboard.

"The patrol schedule," he answered dryly.

"Why is it.. written like that?"

"What, you mean with a silver Sharpie on a ripped up cereal box?" Quil asked for confirmation. Leah nodded slowly. "Beats me," he shrugged, handing it to her. She had to grip it with both hands. "Trust me, the contents are more surprising than the way it's written," Quil hinted as Leah scanned the schedule.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Embry  
6am - 12pm / Jared, Paul  
12pm - 3pm / Quil, Seth  
3pm - 6pm / Collin, Brady  
6pm - 9pm / Jacob, Leah  
9pm - 12am / Wing it._

"What exactly is implied by the 'wing it' at the bottom?" Leah asked sourly, wanting to avoid mentioning anything of her new partner. "Are we gonna place some chicken wings on the perimeter and hope it scares the leeches off?"

"Sam thinks we'll be fine for just three hours," Quil explained. "And besides, no pack member wants a double shift."

"I only have three hours."

"You're not _eligible_ for a double shift. We're only allowed three hours after a major partner change."

"Sam is doubting our abilities to run in circles with a new person? What does he take us for, morons? Cripples?" Leah complained.

"I don't make the rules. I only follow them," Quil defended. _You hardly do anything but follow orders, Quil,_ Leah thought. _Try freedom sometime. You might like it._ "Oh, and something else," Quil added, digging around in his pocket before revealing a small muffin covered in three coats of plastic wrap. "It's a muffin. You probably can't tell."

"Where were you keeping this?" Leah asked, taking the muffin and scowling internally, knowing exactly who made said muffin. _It's probably poisoned or something._

"Somewhere safe," Quil promised.

"Extend my compliments to the chef," Leah said sarcastically. Quil smiled.

"I'm not sure how much thinner I can stretch your compliments, but I'll try," he said. Leah looked around the room curiously, turning in a full circle before facing her pack brother again. "Looking for someone?"

"I didn't even notice my mother leave."

"I did, don't worry. She wasn't kidnapped or anything."

"Didn't think so, genius," Leah commented. A memory was dropped into her head all of a sudden. She remembered that Quil leaked their cliffside interaction to Jared in the pack mind, and she got grilled by Sam over it. Leah was annoyed and bordered on angry before she could stop herself. "Quick question, did you snitch to Jared about us on the night of the wedding?"

"Huh?" Quil spit out dumbly, not expecting to be put on the spot about something that happened several days before. His nervousness was through the roof.

"I know it's what you do best, but stop playing dumb," Leah demanded louder. "If you didn't snitch to Jared, how did Sam find out about it, hm?"

"I-I don't know, Leah," Quil swore.

"Did you say anything to Jared? Anything at all?" Leah demanded again, her voice not getting any quieter.

"I don't think so," Quil denied anxiously. "I-I may have, I don't know. I don't remember everything."

"Come _on_ , Quil!" Leah near-yelled in aggravation. "How could you be so irresponsible?"

"I don't know," Quil cowered. Leah's tone made him forget that he may have been innocent entirely. "I forgot Jared was there, I guess. You know how he is. Quiet and crafty. You know he wouldn't keep anything from Sam, and I guess he snatched the information from my head when he knew he was quiet enough to make me forget he was there."

"Are you kidding?" Leah asked harshly. "Jared is the loudest, most obnoxious wolf in this pack! He chokes you by just being there! How could you forget he was in the pack mind with you? _You were on patrol!"_

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Quil defended shyly. "I still think Jared's to blame, too."

"Well _I'm_ the one who had to face Sam's hellfire for it, so thanks for nothing, Ateara," Leah finished sourly. The two were quiet thereafter, with Quil lingering by the door. After a while, Leah looked up to see if he was still there, only to notice him looking away with the same face he did in the forest on the day that started the argument. Quil looked ready to cry. Only then did Leah feel like the worst person to ever live. Twice did she make Quil cry, and the second time was after she yelled at him over the _first_ time. Quil's words echoed in her head from way back when.

_Lighten up a little._

"Want the muffin?" Leah asked in an attempt to make it up to him, not considering how weird her question sounded, coming less than a minute after she finished yelling at him. "It's not poisoned," she promised. "At least I don't think it is." She held her hand out in Quil's direction, hoping he would accept the truce. He cautiously stepped forward and took it. Up close, she could tell his eyes were shinier than usual.

"Thanks," he mumbled. Without saying much after, Quil left the home, decapitating the muffin on the way out. Leah felt simply horrible. She crossed it off her list of things to do, but regretted adding it to begin with. She wan't sure how much more Sad Quil she could witness seeing. It was like a curse of misfortune and misery to anyone who saw it, worse than any snake atop Medusa's head could bestow through sight. Leah turned around from hearing light footsteps behind her, seeing Seth quietly enter the room. There was no doubt he heard most of her conversation, if not all of it. Neither one spoke, but she could tell that he was disappointed in her.

His eyes alone would have burned her if they could.

『••✎••』

_Alright, ground rules._

_What kinda square lays down ground rules before even greeting their new patrol partner?_

_Hello, Leah._

_Good morrow, Jacob._

_Alright. Ground rules._

Leah grumbled. Of all the things Jacob could have started with on their first patrol together, it had to be rules. Seth never spent time droning about rules. He let her do whatever she wanted and they were both content that way. Leah wondered if wolves were _supposed_ to have rules on patrol and Seth and Leah were secretly breaking them without knowing it just because nobody ever checked on them. Whatever rules Jacob established, Leah knew she was gonna break them one way or another. She might make it a game just for fun. There was no way she was following any rules laid down by Jacob Black.

_That's the spirit._

_What's your first stupid rule?_

_Don't ionize the pack mind with your anger, alright? That's really the only ground rule._

_As long as you don't tear up trees and shrubs around the reservation. I'll tell Sam if you do._

_Little tattletale._

_Is it really a 'tale' if it's true?_

Jacob's chuckling filled the pack mind even though it wasn't super loud. Unfortunately for both Leah and Jacob, the pack mind was totally transparent, allowing Leah to read and feel Jacob's discomfort. Before she could poke fun at it, Jacob was already on top of her.

 _You're uncomfortable too, y'know,_ he reminded. In truth, neither could tell whose it was. As soon as one felt it, it doubled immediately, making the source unknown. It was easier to match thoughts to a voice to find the source, but with something as abstract as a gut feeling of discomfort, neither wolf could tell who was uncomfortable first. Leah poked fun at Jacob for it regardless. _I guess I'm a tad on edge,_ he quietly admit a few seconds later.

_A tad._

_You're my first new partner in a while, in my defense,_ Jacob defended. Neither one noticed the quick dispelling of the discomfort and it being replaced with an odd feeling of ease.

 _Just pretend I'm Quil. Problem solved,_ Leah recommended, still feeling guilty over yelling at him. If Jacob read the interaction, he didn't comment on it.

 _You don't trip, fall, stub your paw, or cry as much as Quil does to make it believable,_ Jacob shot down. Leah laughed.

 _Does Quil really do all that while on patrol?_ She managed through the laughter.

_He sure does. It's a fun little game I play until he catches me doing it in the pack mind. I can show you the Bingo board later._

_Yes. Please. Enlighten me with the Quil on Patrol Bingo card._

_It's limited edition, I have to warn you. Only a few eyes have ever seen it._

_I'll take that chance,_ Leah thought. _What does Quil even have to cry about?_

 _You name it. Sometimes it's a dead rabbit,_ Jacob thought, using a light example before taking a somber tone. _Sometimes he's just reminded of his father._

 _Oh,_ was all Leah could manage. She suddenly felt bad for poking fun at him. The feeling was short-lived before finding amusement that he still trips over branches. _I promise I won't stub my paw on shift,_ she promised to change the subject. She suddenly felt a dull pain in her front left paw, stopping her route to check the area for what it could have been. Her search was cut short by the sound of Jacob laughing. _Did you just.._

 _Stub my paw? Yeah. My bad,_ Jacob apologized, though both could see in the pack mind that the stub was intentional. Jacob smiled through the slight pain. Leah rolled her eyes. Neither wolf expected the pack mind's atmosphere to be as pleasant as it was. Before patrol, both were dreading the partner change, having heard horror stories about the other wolf in question. Leah never missed Seth as much as she did when she left her house without him to patrol with a new wolf. Jacob didn't want to leave the familiarity of Quil or Embry. He would rather take midnight patrol with Sam. At least he _knew_ Sam. It wouldn't have been awkward. What he didn't expect was for patrol with Leah to be just as easy. Certainly nothing like his first patrol with her months before.

The only thing that wasn't as tolerable was the melancholic thoughts surrounding Bella, Jacob's lost love. He make a continuous effort to push them to the back of the pack mind, but Leah could tell they were still there. With full backstage access to his thoughts, Leah could tell exactly how Jacob felt and how he hurt. Leah herself had mostly forgotten about the likes of Bella Swan, but Jacob's mind seemed ever transfixed on the young girl. Leah silently applauded Jacob for the ways he had hidden it from the pack. She knew very well how hard it was to suppress feelings from others.

It wasn't long before Jacob thought he smelled vampire.

_You're wrong._

_I'm not wrong, just smell the air._

_If you_ are _right, why would I want to do that? Choking isn't my favorite activity, you know._

 _Would you just.. it only smells like one. Come on, follow my scent,_ Jacob requested. Leah groaned. She had smelled the vampire seconds before Jacob did, but she brushed it off as a false alarm. She really didn't want to do any fighting. She hoped she was wrong. It was apparent she wasn't. _Come on, Leah, I could use the backup._

_Then howl._

_It's only one. We can take it on by ourselves._

_It's not only one. Vampires travel in packs. It isn't alone._

_This one is, I assure you. Come on. Double time._

_We should howl. If Sam knows we dispatched a Cold One without telling him, he'll put your head on a spike._

_You're overreacting. Come on._

Leah had no other excuses to spout. She had smelled the vampire, Jacob had confirmed it, and it was apparent that there was only one. Begrudgingly, Leah followed the scent, expecting the leech to be hiding in the forest someplace. She was proven correct to see a pale figure standing next to a tree, looking around, seemingly confused. When the vampire noticed Leah in her giant wolf form, it stumbled back. Leah had beaten Jacob there by almost half a minute. If there was any clause of pack code that was regularly enforced, it was to not take on a vampire in one-on-one combat. The werewolf has stacked odds of winning, but the pack couldn't risk it. A healthy werewolf could take out dozens of vampires in their lifetime. The pack couldn't risk losing one on single combat.

Leah had to stall the leech that stood before her menacingly. She opted for circling around it slowly, figuring the slower she circled, the more time she would kill. The vampire didn't look ready to fight an offensive battle, so as long as she didn't attack first, she would be in the clear. Leah purposefully stopped halfway around the circle, pausing herself and the vampire at once. She knew that Jacob would come from the same direction she did. The direction that was now _behind_ the vampire. He couldn't defend two directions at once.

Jacob burst through the brush not long after. Leah smirked, knowing the vampire was probably doomed. Vampires struggled enough in single combat, a two-on-one was most often a death sentence unless the vampire was skilled at fighting werewolves, and this particular one may have never even _seen_ one before, judging by the reaction. The vampire spun around twice, seemingly calculating all the ways they could get out of the situation, and came up short every time. Jacob and Leah stood on opposite ends of the vampire, while it slowly accepted its inevitable death.

Leah wasted no time charging it once Jacob looked ready to block their only escape route. Once she started running, the vampire ducked, hoping the wolf would go over him. Instead, he ended up trampled with both arms and one leg broken. In the unlikely event he would triumph and kill both wolves that challenged him, he would be crippled for life and likely die from the injuries regardless. A certain death wasn't enough for the Leah-wolf, and it wasted no more time than it had to tearing it in half with ease, and then into quarters, and then into eighths. Jacob merely sat down and watched, his role of blocking an escape now fulfilled. While Leah continued to tear up the dead leech, Jacob licked his paws, evidently bored.

_You done?_

_Something like that,_ Leah spit out while hyperventilating.

 _Why're you breathing so fast?_ Jacob chuckled. _Did the leech who stood there and did nothing give you that much trouble?_

 _Hush up,_ Leah bit. _Killing things is thirsty work,_ she argued, checking around the dead body for the familiar symbol. It was a bit of a hassle to check each individual piece of the shredded leech, but it was worth it to prove to the pack that it was part of the same group they had been fighting for weeks on end. Leah found it in less than twenty seconds, in the vampire's pocket. An aluminum paperclip. _I'm getting sick of the smell of aluminum._

 _Name one person in this pack who likes the smell of aluminum,_ Jacob challenged.

 _Paul?_ Leah guessed. _He's the strangest one in this pack, I wouldn't put it past him._

 _Granted,_ Jacob allowed. _Then again, Paul likes the smell of gasoline, so that's a safe guess regardless._

_What're we gonna do with the pieces, now? I take it your wolf doesn't keep lighters lying around._

_Not on weekdays, anyway._

_I know that Sam has a lighter. Him and that lighter are best friends nowadays._

_We're gonna have to report it to Sam sooner or later,_ Jacob reasoned. _Might as well be sooner or he's gonna stab me for hiding it._

 _Yeah, I think you should tell Sam, too,_ Leah agreed, pushing Jacob with her head in the direction of the Uley home. _It's your throat he'll slit first._

 _Hrm,_ Jacob managed, having second thoughts about taking a vampire piece there to show Sam they killed one without a howl. _Do you think he'll go easier on a pack code breaker if that person happens to be his second in command?_

 _Unlikely,_ Leah smirked. _Happy travels,_ she thought, pushing Jacob away again with a vampire arm in his mouth and the paperclip on his head. Jacob cautiously trotted away, as slow as he possibly could. Leah silently wished him good luck as they went their separate ways, with Leah to continue her patrol path and Jacob undoubtedly on a suicide mission to Sam's. Peeking through his eyes, Leah noticed he was walking slow. He blamed it on the paperclip on his head that he didn't want to fall off, with neither wolf truly voicing a thought in the mind. One of the few benefits of sharing a mind with another wolf is they can have conversations without really thinking anything. One could be curious without forming a sentence, and the other can see the infant question and answer it with memories or experiences without ever needing to voice anything.

It slowly became apparent that Jacob wasn't walking slow because of the paperclip.

 _You're stalling,_ Leah accused, somewhat playfully.

_I've never stalled once in my life before._

_Then what do you call that? Because it looks to me like you keep making infinity signs around those two trees._

_Am not! Get out of my vision!_

Leah didn't fully recede from his sights. Instead, she split her vision in two, using Jacob's left eye and her own right eye. Vision splitting was a pack skill that Sam or Jared usually taught to the pups, and how it could be useful. The only rule of splitting vision is to never use both eyes at once; have one eye closed at all times, or else the melded vision will be very overstimulating and could knock a wolf unconscious. Leah mastered the skill so well she could practically teach it, and she used it to her advantage. From her left, she monitored Jacob, and from her right, the path ahead of her.

Jacob continued to stall and take the long way to their Alpha's residence. He crossed rivers he didn't need to, made large arcs that were unnecessary to the route, and stopped to hunt a squirrel in the way. Eventually, Leah witnessed Jacob come across the Uley house from a distance. When he saw it, he looked away quickly at first, but knew he couldn't hide it from the wolf sharing his eyes.

_Took you long enough._

_It was a mistake,_ Jacob shyly admit. _I didn't mean to find it. I would've liked to stall a little longer._

 _Ha!_ Leah laughed loudly. _Afraid of the big bad wolf, are you?_

_Joke's on him. If he huffs and puffs, it'll be his own house he's blowing down._

_Are you sure?_ Leah challenged. _Those look a lot like bricks to me. The big bad wolf's biggest weakness._

_Willya get out of my eyes already?_

_Stop whining like a pup and just go talk to him._

_Fine,_ Jacob grunted. He couldn't put it off much longer, not when the house was right in front of his nose. Jacob let out a bark. Since werewolves could hear howls over exceptionally long distances, it was easier to bark when trying to grab short distance attention. Wolves could hear howls from over thirty miles away, even if the sound waves themselves never made it. Without a response, Jacob barked again, agitated. Emily came out of the house first, much to Leah's dismay. She had to stop herself from growling lest Jacob pile on without realizing it.

"It's a wolf," Emily yelled into the house, turning around halfway.

"Which one?" Sam's voice could be heard from inside, albeit quieter. Emily struggled silently for a few seconds before giving up.

"I can't be sure," she forfeited. "It's been a while since I studied pack member wolf forms."

"Check the eyes," Sam recommended, his voice louder, approaching the open door where his imprint stood. Before Emily could give a verdict, Sam was already over her shoulder. "Jacob. Reddish-brown fur. Most pack members use _russet_."

"I should probably study the fur colors again."

"What brings you here, Jake? Something go wrong on patrol?" Sam asked. It wasn't often pack members showed up at his door when on patrol. Unable to give a verbal answer, Jacob spit out the paperclip into Sam's hand, causing Sam to recoil instantly. "Gross, Jacob," he complained, wincing and shaking his hand vigorously. Jacob smiled coyly. Leah's left eye still focused on Emily and growled to herself. "Where'd you get this?" Sam's next question was. Jacob tilted his head, confused on how to answer it.

"He can't answer it if it isn't a yes or no question," Emily gently reminded. Sam nodded.

"Right, right," he offered. "Did you get this from a Cold One?"

Jacob nodded.

"Was it already dead?"

Jacob slowly shook his head nervously.

"I didn't hear a howl," Sam sighed. Jacob was silent. "Did you send one?"

Jacob shook his head once more, slower than the previous one.

"It's against pack code to take on vampires without help. You _know_ this. Shit, you _made_ that rule!" Sam protested. Jacob was silent. "But you did win. And it doesn't look like you're hurt. So good job anyways, but you're still reckless and stupid."

Jacob smiled a wolfy grin, happy he was no longer in trouble past Sam insulting his intelligence playfully.

"Now back on patrol with you," Sam ordered, disappearing back into his house with his imprint behind him. Jacob ran away from the home as fast as he could, hoping Sam wouldn't change his mind last minute and punish him and his partner. He figured if he was out of sight by the time he changed his mind, he wouldn't bother with it. By the time Jacob was sufficiently buried in the forest, he was panting.

 _You weren't being very subtle with being pissed at Emily,_ Jacob complained, his thoughts not affected by his physical panting. _Sam definitely remembers who I'm on patrol with._

_Doesn't mean he knew._

_Did you see him glancing at my left eye every so often? Disapprovingly? Because I sure as hell did._

_Whatever._

_All I'm saying is that Emily will probably know in a few minutes,_ Jacob concluded. Leah smiled.

_Good._

『••✎••』

_That's that._

_Surprisingly tolerable, if I do say so,_ Leah complimented. Jacob chuckled.

 _A fair 3 out of 5 stars,_ Jacob rated.

 _Wow, thanks. I'll be sure to add it to my big shelf of ratings from my_ other _pack brothers,_ Leah thought. _Your 3 out of 5 will really stand out against everyone else's 1 out of 5._

 _Well. Adios,_ Leah bid. Instead of leaving immediately like she usually did, she felt compelled to hear Jacob say it back to her.

 _Later,_ was Jacob's simple goodbye. He managed to beat her to the phase-out, leaving Leah alone in the pack mind for a few seconds. She phased by her designated tree and changed as fast as she could. _I can't believe I just said that,_ Leah thought, surprised with herself for using the term 'pack brothers' to refer to the werewolves in her pack. She was shocked she did it even by accident, more shocked that she didn't immediately notice or catch herself. Before she could argue with herself about them not being her brothers, the logical part of her brain was already stopping her. _Are we really gonna do this again? You lose every time,_ it rationalized. _Try again and you'll just keep falling on your face._

Finished changing, Leah head towards her home, annoyed and frustrated with different parts of herself. The walk home felt longer than it usually did. She didn't know if it was because she was taking a longer route on accident, or because it was her first time walking home from patrol alone in weeks. Usually Seth would meet up with her, and even if he didn't talk, his company alone made it seem shorter. Now Leah was well and truly alone on the walk home. She subconsciously searched for berry bushes, but couldn't find any.

After finally arriving home after what felt like a ten mile walk, Leah noticed Jared in her backyard, pacing around in circles like a lost puppy. _He pretty much_ is _a lost puppy. He sure looks lost, and he's got the puppy thing down pretty well._ Upon spotting her, Jared took up a light jog to come meet her up close.

"Looking for someone?" Leah called, almost disgusted with herself for suddenly feeling more comfortable with a pack brother around. _Nobody on Earth has every been comfortable around Jared Cameron. I'm not about to be the first._

"I'm looking for you, actually," Jared explained. "Sam called a sudden short-notice meeting at the local playground, on the basketball court."

"Where's Seth? Does he know?" Leah asked, looking over Jared's shoulder to see if Seth was standing behind him.

"He knows. Quil took him earlier, I'm just sitting around waiting for you. Us and Jacob will probably be the last ones there," Jared predicted. Leah nodded slightly, not exactly happy with the idea of being last. It was always awkward for her to be last, with everyone who arrived before you watching. Unfortunately for those last, everyone who arrived before them is everyone.

Jared led Leah off her property and towards the local playground. There weren't an overwhelming amount of children in La Push, and certainly none would be there after the Sun set on a weekday. Leah knew why Sam chose the spot: nobody would be there, and he liked to change the scenery every once in a while. He hated the idea of things being the same. Part of that mindset helped him accept being a werewolf in the end. As much as Leah loathed to even think it, she felt slightly safe and comfortable with Jared around, despite him not saying anything. He wasn't a bad person, Leah knew. She nearly felt bad for him, being imprinted. _Poor Jared._ She felt pity for all the imprinted wolves. Whatever potential they had was taken from them at the sight of some girl they hardly know.

The walk to the playground felt shorter than the walk to her home, even though the park was a longer distance. The entire pack was already waiting for them by the time Jared and Leah arrived. Jacob somehow beat them both there. Leah almost did a double take to make sure it was the same werewolf she was on patrol with a matter of minutes before. In the darkened playground, Leah had to admit the pack really _did_ look like a shady cult.

"Welcome, latecomers," Sam greeted quickly. Jared nodded. Leah silently tread to the chain-link fence boxing in the court and leaned against it. "Alright. Down to business," he said authoritatively. "You may not be aware, but _someone_ killed a leech today without howling," he announced, before quickly turning his head to denote Jacob. Jacob raised his hands defensively.

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Except for breaking pack code," Paul pointed out.

"It's not a big deal in the end," Sam cut off. "Point is, the symbol was found on them. So I think we're dealing with a full scale invasion at this point, not some overconfident coven," he theorized. The pack nodded. "Anyone have any bright ideas on what to do with them?"

"Maybe not any bright ideas, but I got a bucket full of dim ideas if you want any of those," Paul offered, grinning. The pack joined in the slight laughter.

"The Cullen leader said he found out about the symbol," Quil reminded. "We had more pressing matters so we forgot to ask about it before we left," he continued. The pack collectively remembered what Carlisle had said. He found something about the symbol, but Sam took charge and changed the subject. If he knew about the symbol, chances are they knew about the coven, and how to defeat them.

"We gotta figure out what he knows," Jared agreed. The pack mumbled sounds of support.

"I'll put it on the agenda," Sam vowed. "Even though they don't sleep, it'd be unprofessional to show up after sunset and try to hold a conversation. Until we can get to the Cullens, I say we should boost patrol to three wolves for six hour sessions," he recommended. He was met with sounds of disapproval from the pack, some arguing, some gently stating disagree, and Paul openly calling him an idiot. It was clear to Sam that the idea wouldn't fly. "Alright, I take it back. Withdrawn."

"What about three wolves for four hour sessions?" Jared suggested. The pack was equally cold to the idea.

"I'm starting to regret putting a three hour block of winging it," Sam said, deeming his decision unwise. The pack's mumbled agreement was much gentler than their disagreement was moments before. As much as the wolves hated patrol, the idea of leaving their borders open didn't sit well with anyone.

"What direction did they come from?" Seth asked suddenly, looking at Jacob, knowing he had a better memory than his sister.

"North, I think," Jacob answered. He seemed confident enough.

"And the time before that?" Seth pressed, addressing everyone.

"I think that was East," Paul supplied.

"Yeah. East," Collin confirmed, having been on the patrol block they were spotted and fought in.

"And before that?" Sam continued for Seth, having an idea where he was going, addressing Jared.

"I think it was the North every time."

"So whoever they are must be Northeast of La Push," Seth connected. "They've never come from the South or the West, and it would be too hard to go around."

"That's because the Pacific is to the West, kid," Paul criticized, trying to make his voice as nice as possible to hide how stupid he thought Seth was.

"He has a point," Sam defended. The pack thought on the information, with Paul as an exception, thinking Sam and Seth were moronic for suggesting it. _The leeches aren't gonna come out of the ocean, idiot,_ Paul thought. "Looks like we should guard the North and the East most vigilantly," Sam concluded. The pack voiced soft agreement, save for Paul. A short silence fell on the group.

"Are we done here, then?" Paul asked, somewhat impatiently.

"The discussion is, for the most part," Sam confirmed. "Tomorrow we're going to the Cullens to see what they know, and we'll plan accordingly," he decreed. "As for midnight patrol, we'll guard the North and East the most."

"Who's on midnight patrol?" Jared asked.

"It has to be Embry, the whiniest pup in the pack," Sam said, exhausted. Another silence clouded the group.

"Did anyone bring a basketball?" Paul asked jokingly. The pack looked around to see if anyone left one.

"There's one over there," Sam pointed out. Jared was closest to it, and picked it up to see if it could be used. He dribbled it twice to see if there was enough air in it to use.

"It can bounce, and we can see," Jared offered, passing it to Sam, who held it. "Let's see how long we can go before someone claims the ball or we get kicked out."

"You're on," Sam smiled. "What is it, five-on-five?"

"Embry isn't here," Paul reminded, stepping forward.

"And I'm opting out," Leah announced. "So that makes it a four-on-four. Easy math."

"I'm not good at it," Collin said shyly, opting out as well.

"Count me out," Jacob added, moving to stand next to Leah. "I don't wanna embarrass anyone," he added. The pack laughed, doubting him silently. He lowered his voice to talk just with Leah. "You gonna bounce?"

"I feel too awkward to leave without Seth," Leah explained. She expected Jacob to argue and whisk her away, but he was surprisingly tolerant.

"Ah," he offered. "Pinned by your brother yet again." Leah didn't respond. She stopped listening to the pack, and just watched as the pack separated into two teams of three. She was surprised that Brady ended up on a team with Sam and Quil, before realizing that Sam probably wanted to come off as less scary to Brady. They didn't stand a chance against Jared and Paul on a team, no matter if they were being dragged down by Seth. It would be an interesting game for sure. To avoid watching her brother and Brady inevitably get roasted by the other four, she looked towards the sky and tried to see as many stars as the light pollution would allow.

"Looks like a full moon tonight," Leah commented. "Try not to transform." Jacob laughed, looking towards the sky as well.

"It looks more like a waxing gibbous to me."

"Who on Earth says something like that?" Leah said, laughing at his word choice. "Waxing gibbous?"

"It's a moon phase," he defended strongly. "A real moon phase."

"You may be the first person in ten years to say those words in that order."

"Good to be first."

The air turned back to silence between the two. The same type of silence that radiated the pack mind during their first patrol earlier in the day. Leah saw she may have been wrong; maybe the partner switch wasn't the end of the world after all. Leah looked down from the sky and to her brother in front of her. He wasn't off to the side like she expected him to be. Him and Brady were both proving valuable players. Maybe she was wrong about a few things. The pack was being their boisterous selves and Leah found it growing on her. The noise she used to find obnoxious felt different this time even though the noise hasn't changed.

Maybe her pack brothers weren't so bad after all. And maybe they were. Leah couldn't make up her mind.

She turned her attention back to the waxing gibbous moon in the sky. She didn't have to decide that night.

There was always tomorrow to figure it out.


	12. Yet to Come

There were berry bushes in between Leah's house and Embry's house. She was surprised she never noticed them before.

The berries were small and black. Leah wasn't sure if they were poisonous, but she wouldn't be eating them, anyway. She was sure if Quil was there he could easily determine which berries were poisonous and which weren't. Quil knew _everything_. Every obscure thing that could possibly be thought up, Quil had an answer for. Leah figured she didn't need to consult Quil on which berries were poisonous if they were only going to be used for rolling. Leah took a berry off the bush and tried to remember everything Jacob told her all at once. Hold it like a bowling ball, look at the path ahead. She rolled, and her roll went off the road after less than ten feet. She expected to hear a voice to her right or left criticizing her roll, but she didn't. Jacob wasn't there. Leah sighed. It wasn't the same without him.

Leah turned over the bottle of Advil she was carrying, bored. There wasn't much in the realm of things to do between the Clearwater fort and the Call fort. She was briefly annoyed that Sue bought a whole bottle of medicine and they wouldn't get to use any of it themselves. _"It's for Embry,"_ Sue had said. _"His mother can't afford painkillers."_ Leah pocketed the Advil, not wanting to be reminded of the money Sue practically donated to the pack member down the road. _We can't afford it either, mom,_ Leah would have said. Neither Leah nor Sue had been to Embry's in a considerable block of time, and the last they heard, Embry still had a few Advils left. Everyone knew that werewolves would fry it up much faster than the average person, though, and it didn't take Einstein's apprentice to calculate he was probably out by now.

The sight of the Call house was enough to give Leah chills on bad memories alone. Every time she was there, she would get assaulted by Embry's mother. She tried to convince Seth into doing the errand for her, knowing nobody on the planet could antagonize her brother, but he was nowhere to be found. _Little rascal probably knew,_ she blamed. As Leah predicted, Tiffany Call was already on the porch when she approached the small reservation house, smoking her morning cigarette. As soon as Leah was spotted, Tiffany scowled loud enough for Leah to hear from over ten meters away.

"We're not taking visitors," Tiffany declared. _Yeah, I figured it wouldn't be this easy._

"I come bearing gifts," Leah promised, showing her the bottle of Advil that was previously in her pocket. She jiggled it for dramatic effect.

"Drugs are hardly a gift," Tiffany scoffed, wondering how Leah knew they were out.

 _"Hey,"_ Leah said, feigning offense. " _Benign_ drugs."

"Benign drugs can still kill," Tiffany commented sourly.

"Says the woman smoking a cigarette," Leah pointed out dryly. That remark silenced Tiffany in an instant. Leah got halfway up the steps without further sass from Tiffany. As soon as she was close enough to pass her, Tiffany moved in front of the door to block her path. Leah rolled her eyes, somewhat amused at the fuss a grown woman was making. "May I come in?" Leah asked, making sure to exaggerate her politeness. After a tense moment, Tiffany moved out of the way, letting Leah enter. Tiffany stayed outside to finish her cigarette in relative peace.

Embry was still on the couch where she'd last seen him the day of the Cullen confrontation. He looked marginally in better health.

"Hey, Em," Leah called, accidentally using a nickname she used to call Emily. She winced to herself. Embry turned around, a large smile on his face.

"You couldn't spare the time to say the extra syllable?"

"Nope," Leah said confidently. "I'm on a tight schedule, can't you tell?"

"Definitely. Why else would you be here so early in the morning?"

"I brought you more Advil," Leah said. "My mom bought it with the Council of Elders budget."

"Ooh, gimme!" Embry pleaded excitedly, holding his hands out. Leah tossed the bottle across the room into his open hands. "Thanks. Extend my thanks to the Council of Elders and their budget," he asked, before freezing in confusions. "I was never told the Council of Elders had their own budget. Who.. pays it to them?"

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist, Embry," Leah doubted, rolling her eyes. "I think my mom made it up this morning to hide that she's using Clearwater budget on pack members down the street."

"Well, consider this pack member down the street satisfied," Embry thanked, before sprouting an idea. "And now that I have pain medication, I can stand up properly, and can go with you to the Cullens this morning," he suggested, his voice full with hope. Leah flinched internally.

"How did you even know we were going there this morning?" Leah asked.

"Word gets around," Embry answered in a rushed voice. "Can I please go with you?"

"It's not my decision," Leah defended. "I'm not the Alpha of this pack, thank God."

"Can you ask Sam to let me go, then?" Embry asked, his tone bordering on begging. "My shoulder can't even bleed anymore, look," he assured, turning his arm to show that his wound had scabbed over. No blood could escape unless something opened the scab again.

"It doesn't matter if it can't _bleed_ ," Leah said, looking at Embry as if he was the dumbest werewolf alive. "Just because it can't bleed doesn't mean you can go prancing around in front of demons known for their attraction to blood. You did see how the colonel was looking at you, right? Like he wanted to drink out of your shoulder like a water fountain?"

"I'm not paralyzed, Leah," Embry argued, his left eye shining anger and his right eye desperation. "I can take care of myself."

"You still don't look too good. I don't want to be an accomplice to getting you killed in front of Dr. Fang's house of horrors."

"If any of them try to attack me, I'll knock 'em on their ass. It's what we're made for, Leah, and I'm sick of being useless. Please ask Sam to take me? Please?" Embry begged. Leah almost couldn't tell between Embry and the Embry-wolf with the way they were almost pathetically begging. Most pack members would jump on the chance to stay away from the vampires. Jacob _hated_ going to the Cullens, but had to anyways because he was the Beta. And here Embry was, begging to be a part of something every other pack member wished to be left out of. How could Leah turn down that type of raw dedication to the pack?

"Fine," Leah sighed, caving at last. "But you owe me."

"For the rest of my life," Embry swore, satisfied and happy that he would be of use to the pack in a real way. Leah knew she didn't have much time to kill before the confrontation would take place. Sam mentioned leaving in the morning, and "morning" could be any time from midnight to noon, to Sam. Leah fled the Call house with a slight urgency in her step, passing Tiffany on the way out, who was finishing her cigarette still. Tiffany grumbled as she walked by.

"Goodbye to you too, Mrs. Call," Leah said as politely as she could, rolling her eyes, knowing Tiffany couldn't see them.

" _Miss_ Call," Tiffany corrected almost harshly.

"Is there a difference?"

" _Mrs._ is for married women."

"You were once a married woman."

"I'm not a married woman _anymore_."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It was ages ago, darling," Tiffany reminisced. Leah was very tempted to bring up her mystery affair with either Billy Black, Quil Ateara IV, or Joshua Uley, but decided against it. She couldn't let her in on any pack secrets, tempting as it may have been. "Now shoo," Tiffany ushered with a wave of her hand. Not needing to be told twice, Leah left the property almost instantly. She didn't want to turn around to check if Tiffany fled inside or watched her leave.

Leah left the property with one less bottle of medication, but with way more questions. She wondered what Tiffany Call's deal was. Tiffany frequently antagonized Leah and others, including her own son at times. She was apparently a smoker though also criticized Leah for bringing substances that could save Embry's life, if used well. Leah also couldn't stop herself from thinking about the phantom partner Tiffany had. Leah tried to piece together who it could've been by herself. Each pack member had their sneaking suspicions, but most sided with Leah in thinking it was Joshua Uley. If Joshua Uley couldn't be bothered to stick around to be involved in Sam's life, chances are that would carry over with any other child, including Embry. Billy Black seemed too moral to do such a thing, and every Ateara Leah knew was a perfect sinless angel. She couldn't imagine Quil Ateara IV being the exception.

Leah also wondered how Embry planned on leaving the Call house to get to the confrontation he was so desperate to attend. Why on Earth was Embry acting like he would explode if he didn't get to go? She remembered him saying something about feeling useless, but Leah felt useless to the pack all the time, and she didn't lose sleep over it. It looked like Sam hardly noticed Embry's absence anyways, and Embry could easily get away with not doing anything pack related for a while.

Leah worried over whether it was even right to petition Sam to take Embry along. Too much could go wrong. Embry could faint, collapse, die. But Leah knew she didn't want Collin and Brady there, and Seth if she could help it. She wasn't in a hurry to see Quil again, having made things awkward between them with her outburst the day before. It was awkward enough when he dropped off the patrol schedule that morning. Nobody _ever_ wanted to see Paul. That left them a little dry on pack members, and the pack taking Embry may have been one of the wisest things they could do. Risk and reward. _If Embry says he can walk, let him walk._

The Uley house snuck up on Leah faster than she imagined it would. Leah was instantly annoyed to see Emily outside, running around like a headless chicken. She groaned, hoping Emily somehow wouldn't notice her approaching. To her dismay, Emily spotted her as soon as her footsteps were audible.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite cousin!" Emily said joyfully, skipping over.

"I'm gonna have to tell Seth you said that," Leah threatened. "His little heart is gonna be so _crushed_."

"Snitches get stitches," Emily smiled. Leah forced a smile. _At least someone is enjoying this._

"I thought it went 'if you snitch you'll end up in a ditch'," Leah corrected, still not looking directly at Emily. Emily didn't notice, instead giggling loudly.

"Not precisely, but I like that one better," she admit. "What're you doing in this neck of the woods?"

"Errands, I guess you could say," Leah said cryptically. "I have some business to attend to."

"Do tell about this _business_ ," a third voice called from the doorway. Leah noticed Sam wasn't looking quite at her, but instead at his imprint. Leah tried to contain her growls to her head. _He can't even look at me when I tell him I have business here?_

"I come bearing questions," Leah explained. It took another three seconds for Sam so to as much as look at her. Leah waited impatiently.

"Shoot."

"Huh?"

"Shoot," Sam repeated. "It means _ask your questions_."

"'Shoot' means something else where I come from."

"You come from down the street," Sam argued. "Are the customs different down there?"

"People don't typically say _shoot_ instead of _ask your questions._ "

"Well, for future reference, unless I hand you a gun after I say it, _shoot_ means _go ahead._ "

"Thanks," Leah offered. She was about to ask Sam to take Embry with them, but backed out last second, having some final worries about if it's the right thing. "When do you think the period of patrol will end? My mother and Seth are getting pretty sick of it at this point. Call me skeptical, but I somehow don't think Victoria and her army of the dead pose a threat anymore."

"Not them," Sam allowed, "but we have to extend the period of patrol until the paperclip clan is no longer a threat."

"Will that be soon?" Leah asked fruitfully.

"That depends."

"Depends on what?" Leah asked, trying to segue the conversation to the Cullen expedition. "On what the Cullens say?"

"That'll be a factor, but I'm not letting my pack be directed by the captain of the leeches," Sam answered. Leah grew tired of waiting and beating around the bush.

"And what's the plan with Embry?" Leah asked bluntly. "Extend his house arrest sentence?"

"That's the plan," Sam replied, seemingly not noticing how direct she had been. Emily stayed quiet.

"He wants to come with us," Leah dropped, timid about what her Alpha's reaction would be.

"Of course he does, why wouldn't he? He just loves being difficult," Sam grumbled. He turned away from Leah and Emily, thinking on his options. It took him ten seconds to reach a verdict, with Leah worrying all the while about what he would say. "Embry can come," he decreed, "if it means Jacob and Paul can sit out, seeing as they're hotheaded morons." Leah could tell that Sam was at least a little ticked off about the exchange, seeing as he only insulted his pack brothers when upset or angry about something. Leah assumed that Quil would still be on the roster, but she would take Quil over Paul any day.

"Thanks for the verdict," Leah said. "Are we leaving now or later? You mentioned the morning yesterday, but Quil didn't say anything about it."

"We're doing it later," Sam answered, facing the group again, his eyes briefly pausing on Emily before continuing to Leah. "As soon as you get off patrol."

"Which I'm due for in less than ten minutes, I'm pretty sure," Leah said. Sam nodded slowly, as if surprised she needed to be reminded. "I'll be off, then."

"Bye, Lee," Emily said, speaking up for the first time.

"See ya later," Sam offered, turning away, with Emily behind him.

"See you then, Sam," Leah said, turning away.

All three noticed how Leah addressed her farewell specifically to Sam, leaving Emily out of the equation entirely.

『••✎••』

 _Survived another one,_ Leah complimented. _Good job. The average wolf would have commit suicide by now._

 _Thank God I'm not the average wolf,_ Jacob thought, exhausted. The patrol felt longer than usual. _Another solid 3 out of 5 stars._

_Maybe I'll get to three and a half one of these days._

_Don't get ahead of yourself. You still have to get through patrol without tripping or crying before you get that half star._

_I didn't trip or cry,_ Leah defended, waiting a few seconds to add on. _Much._

 _Oh right,_ Jacob allowed. _I forgot I wasn't with Quil._ Leah laughed. She almost liked Jacob more than Seth as a partner. _I'm telling your brother._

 _You better not if you know what's good for you,_ Leah threatened playfully. _Anyway, it's time for my favorite activity. Meeting leeches._

 _Eurgh,_ Jacob sounded. He didn't specifically think anything, but Leah could still feel the jealous envy he felt over not being picked.

 _You were picked at first,_ Leah argued. _You were un-picked last minute because Sam thought you were a hotheaded moron,_ she revealed, smirking. Jacob grunted. Both Leah and Jacob could hear the church bells ringing from many many miles away thanks to their enhanced hearing. _That's my cue._

 _It isn't mine,_ Jacob thought. _I'm gonna stay on patrol a few more minutes. My wolf is being a pain in the ass and I'm fresh out of chocolate._

 _Don't need my permission,_ Leah reminded. _Though that hardly counts as patrol at that point._ Jacob only chuckled dryly.

_Goodbye, Leah Clearwater._

_Adieu, Jacob Ephraim Black,_ she bid as she phased out, not wanting to stay on patrol a minute more than she had to. It was a custom to wait until the next wolves phased in to phase out, but Leah didn't want to wait. If Jacob was staying anyway, she didn't need to be present as well just to be there. Besides, Sam and the rest were probably already waiting on her. She could only hope Jacob's presence was tangible enough for the oncoming wolves to realize he was there.

It was a common practice among the pack wolves, dubbed _wolfing_. Every Quileute who descended from Taha Aki was born with a wolf inside of them, and once it was awakened with the initial scent of vampire, it refused to go back to sleep under any circumstances. Their wolves would regularly push for control at random points, sometimes harder than others. The pack relied on chocolate and coffee to scare the wolves away, though Leah found that punching herself in the gut worked at least sometimes. No matter what, most of the pack relied on periods of _wolfing_ to let their wolves have their fix so they would leave them alone for a while, where they would let their wolves have their way with full, uninterrupted physical and mental control. Usually it only took an hour a week to keep them down most other times. Every pack member but Leah incorporated it into their schedule.

Leah had changed and was confused when nobody was in the spot she was told to meet at by Quil the morning of. She looked around, turned in a few circles, and tried to listen for pack members. She only heard one. _Where the hell is everyone else?_ Leah couldn't tell which pack member it was until he whistled a high, attention grabbing note.

"We're meeting on the other side of the forest," Jared clarified.

"Quil told me here," Leah argued. _Nobody ever tells me anything._

"We changed last minute," Jared explained. Leah was annoyed. "It's not a big deal, I'll lead you there."

Leah trailed Jared to the proper meeting place. She made sure to keep Jared ahead of her at all times, hoping that if she wasn't next to or in front of him, he wouldn't try to initiate a conversation. She was never in the mood to converse with Jared Cameron, minutes before meeting the Cullens least of all. The five minute walk was uncomfortably silent for both of them. Not a word was said between them.

"And there they are," Sam enthusiastically greeted. Leah had to smile at an introduction like that. She vastly preferred Sam when the best parts of his personality weren't being watered down by the presence of his imprint. Emily neutralized every ember of Sam's fiery personality. The same could be said about every imprinted wolf, in Leah's eyes. She almost felt bad for them. Leah could only hope that one day she would imprint so she could uncontrollably lose every care and pain the world scarred her with.

"Who's on patrol, exactly?" Quil asked.

"Shouldn't you know? You made the schedule with me," Sam reasoned, while he tried to remember himself. "I think it's Seth and Paul."

"And Jacob, who's wolfing," Leah added. "He'll be there for maybe an hour."

"Seth and Paul will have some pretty unhelpful company for a while, then," Sam gently corrected. Pack code laid out that wolfing didn't count as patrol.

"Well, everything's set, then," Jared said, joining at Sam's side. "Lead the way."

The pack started walking very slowly towards the Cullens. No pack member was in a rush. None were in a hurry. None of them even really wanted to go. The air was so hard to breathe that it gave Jared and Quil headaches, and Sam sometimes coughed until his eyes watered. Not to mention their werewolf instincts didn't care much for treaties; they always constantly claw to get out to tear up any vampires it sees. It's a slow, neverending torture for the wolves to have to sit still and watch as the human side of them calmly negotiated with their natural born enemies. As much as Embry wanted to go, he joined the rest of the pack with their slow approach to the Cullen mansion.

By the time Sam cut through the bushes and laid eyes on the estate, Carlisle was already waiting outside for them. Emmett stood to his left and Rosalie to his right, who looked visibly disgusted to see the wolves through the forest, hoping Alice's vision (or lack thereof) was wrong somehow.

"Greetings," Carlisle offered.

"Yo," Sam greeted less than formally. "Do you often congregate outside and admire the forest or did you know we were coming somehow?"

"My daughter Alice's vision of the future cut out," Carlisle chuckled. "It can only mean wolves or hybrids, and hybrids are fleetingly rare. We made an educated guess."

"And your repulsive smell helps too," Rosalie added. Carlisle quietly scolded her before the pack had a chance to comprehend Rosalie's insult.

"I see you're well," Carlisle said, nodding to Embry. "Embry, is it?"

"Yeah, Embry," he replied in discomfort. The vampires didn't often call the pack by their names. Dog, mongrel, and hound usually cut it for them.

"What's the cause of this visit today?"

"We forgot to ask what you found about the symbol during our last visit."

"I think _forgot_ is a bit of a gentle word there, _pal_ ," Emmett argued.

"Would you like me to be _less_ gentle?" Sam asked, stepping forward threateningly.

"None of that!" Carlisle mediated before a fight could break out, waving his hands between them. "Can't we all just get along?"

"I don't think that's possible with the whole 'mortal enemies' thing," Sam defended, eyes still nailed to Emmett.

"So the symbol?" Carlisle said, quickly changing the subject. "We think it may belong to the Volturi. It vaguely resembles an old Volturi crest from 230 years ago, but we're confused by this little diagonal line through it. Whoever it is might be imitating the Volturi, but we're not sure why they're using such an old symbol."

"We intend to find out," Sam declared confidently. "Did you find literally anything else?"

"We can't be sure of anything. It could just be an old coven who look up to the Volturi who aren't aware their symbol changed in the last 230 years."

"Is that typical parasite behavior?"

"It's unusual to be sure," Carlisle answered, talking over Rosalie.

"We aren't parasitic," she bit. "You lot are the parasites if anything."

"I'm pretty sure 'parasitic' is in Webster's definition of vampire," Jared pointed out.

"Alright, enough of that," Carlisle waved his hands again, trying to keep the peace.

"Keep trying to find what you can," Sam requested in the calmest voice he could manage. "We don't have the Vampiric Library of Congress on our hands."

"We'll certainly try," Carlisle promised. "The threat of this new group affects us all. I could be a target to them."

"That'll be all," Sam nodded, turning away from the group and putting distance between them and the vampires. Sam expected to stay longer than two minutes, but when he ran out of things to ask about, he had no choice but to leave. The vampires were silently understanding, overlooking Sam's lack of a _goodbye_.

"Thanks for stopping by," Carlisle called, leaving with Emmett and Rosalie close behind him, the groups having departed in rare relative peace.

『••✎••』

"So, that was a lot," Quil said, excited to talk about the information they learned. The pack was equally excited, fleeing from the Cullen estate much faster than they approached it. Nobody wanted to dampen Quil's excitement by arguing they didn't really learn all that much.

"He thinks it's some kind of Volturi thing?" Jared asked for clarification. Sam silently nodded, but it was Leah who spoke aloud.

"Yeah," she said, "but it's apparently a symbol that's older than dirt and it has a weird line through it."

"What would the Volturi be doing fucking around on the reservation?" Jared asked. "Shouldn't they learn their lesson by now? 'Isn't it weird how all of our spies end up dead'?"

"That or it's a different symbol altogether," Sam reasoned. "But it was complicated folding. The fact they found a match at all is surprising to me."

"How long should we give them to find something new?" Quil asked.

"However long it takes. I'm done meeting them, though. My lungs can't take much more without getting cancer," Sam replied. "If they find anything, they need to come to us at the treaty line," he replied, everyone seeming satisfied with his course of action. Sam noticed that the chatty and noisy Embry was unusually quiet. "What do you think, Embry?" Sam prodded, testing Embry's ability to respond.

Embry failed to respond.

The entire pack collectively turned to face him, noticing that Embry was actually behind them a ways, struggling to keep up. Sam noticed his slow and heavy breathing. The rest noticed that he wasn't particularly looking at anything, instead looking like he was struggling just to stand up. His head was in constant motion and he looked genuinely afraid. His mouth remained open the entire time. The pack's collective worries couldn't compare to the mountains of anxiety felt by Sam, whose intense worry was the result of Alpha instincts to protect their pack members at any cost, and here a pack member was, in failing health from a condition Sam couldn't prevent.

"Embry," Sam said as firmly as his worried psyche would allow him to. "What's wrong?" It took Embry some time to respond.

"I feel dizzy," he stuttered out across a few seconds. Before Sam could ask a follow-up question, Embry collapsed to the ground. Sam only sighed and grunted, expecting this to happen at some point. He regret allowing Embry to come. He would've preferred twenty Pauls and twenty Jacobs to a pack member fainting right in front of him. The only relief that could be had was that Embry managed to stay upright in front of the Cullens. Without missing a beat, as if Sam had a plan prepared in the event of something happening to Embry, he started barking orders as soon as.

"Alright, Jared and Quil, help me carry Embry back to his house," Sam directed quickly. "Leah, you follow behind. You'll have to play doctor again."

"Why's it always me?" Leah complained. Sam looked at her sternly, not expecting someone to question his master plan. "Fine, but I'm warning you that I'm not a good doctor," Leah complied, knowing she would get an Alpha command if she refused. Getting Alpha commanded around made their wolves sad and angry, so the least Leah could do was go along with Sam's directions the first time and pretend she had a say in the matter. The pack didn't struggle an excessive amount with carrying Embry, despite his size. Neither Jared, Quil, nor Sam had to take a break or even got tired during the procedure. Leah trailed behind them all, annoyed and unsure of what to do. She wasn't directly told to help them carry Embry, and she wasn't about to do anything more than she was told.

All four conscious pack members were very thankful that Tiffany Call wasn't home at the time. They were equally thankful that locking doors wasn't a common custom on the reservation. The three Embry-carriers set their pack brother on his designated healing table that he had grown used to being on. As soon as Sam finished setting him down, Jared and Quil took a step back, looking to Sam for commands, not sure what to do. Sam briefly forgot they were even there until Quil coughed nervously.

"You two can wait outside or go home," Sam said. "I don't want you two feeling dizzy yourself." The two obliged immediately, nodding to Leah on the way out of the house. Sam looked to Leah expectantly. "You're up," he encouraged. Leah cautiously stepped forward to examine her injured pack brother.

"It looks like he's breathing fine," Leah thought out loud. "He's not bleeding," she continued, surprised. "His temperature is normal, and by normal, I mean normal for _us_ ," she continued as she looked him over, refusing to lay a hand on her pack brother past testing his temperature. "He looks fine to me," she diagnosed. "His fainting is probably just the result of him pushing himself too hard, as usual. His stubbornness was the cause of it."

"What else is new?" Sam grumbled. "How do we fix him?"

"Get him to stay still for once?" Leah suggested. "That'll be a day and a half's work. He hates feeling useless."

"Yeah," Sam agreed quietly. "Will he be okay by tomorrow? Tonight? Few minutes?"

"Can't say," Leah admit. "It isn't permanent, whatever it is."

"That's the only good news today, it seems," Sam said solemnly. "I shouldn't have taken him." Leah felt extraordinarily guilty to be reminded. She was worried something like this would happen. She almost didn't want to ask Sam at first, and here Embry was, injured from just getting up, and it was Leah who vouched for him.

"This is my fault," Leah voiced. "I was the one who pushed you to take him along."

"Save it," Sam said, heading away from his pack brother. "I know it wasn't your doing. It was Embry. All Embry. I'm not sure how he convinced you to talk to me, but he must have been damn good at it. You're not usually someone who likes to do favors for pack brothers," he continued, surprised Leah went along with it. _They're not my brothers,_ Leah protested internally. Leah followed Sam out of the Call house with a passing glance back at Embry.

『••✎••』

"Okay, stop," Leah said, finally having enough. She stopped walking, forcing the Quileute beside her to stop as well. "Look at me. I don't know how many more times you wanna hear it. He - _look at me!_ \- Embry is going to be fine. And you can get it in writing, too. Just please stop asking."

"Fine," Sam conceded, continuing the road ahead. He tried to look as glum as possible, knowing Leah's weaknesses and how to use them.

"Don't do that," Leah begged, looking away from him. "I know that you have all sorts of weird Alpha shit in your head -"

"Thanks."

" _But_ , it doesn't mean you need to hear me repeat that Embry's okay a hundred times. Fill in all the blanks with _Embry is okay_. It won't change."

"Alright, alright," Sam pleaded, silent for a few seconds thereafter. "What do _you_ know about the 'weird Alpha shit in my head', anyway? In your own words?"

"Damned if I know," Leah admit. "It's all very strange. You're one of us, and yet you're different. I've known you a long time, dated you for four years, and suddenly you're above me in a hierarchy I didn't subscribe to. It's almost.. intimidating. Like.. you scare me a lot just by being an Alpha, and I don't _like_ it," she managed to vocalize, surprised with herself that she was able to say it out loud.

"Yeah, I kinda figured it was that way," Sam sighed. "I hate it. I have to take responsibility for all these people I suddenly have.. paternal feelings for. I grew up with you, with Seth, with everyone, and now you're scared of me because _Sam's the big scary Alpha_. And I'll never know what it feels like for you, maybe you're _terrified_ of me. Maybe you live in constant fear of Alpha commands, who am I to say? I'll never know anything else. Authority tends to scare the people who have less of it than someone else. If it was up to me, I'd forfeit this position as soon as possible."

Leah merely walked and listened. It was a hard thing to talk about, because both only partially knew what they meant. It was difficult to grasp and verbalize their feelings on the matter, but they knew they had to get it out sometime, somehow. Sam and Leah understood each other's aspects slightly better, but they still wished it was easier to discuss in a clear way. _I wish I could make you understand,_ they both thought. The fork in the road caught Leah's attention first.

"Fork in the road," she announced, as if Sam couldn't see it in front of him.

"Sure is," he agreed. "I'm going right."

"I'm going left."

"So be it," Sam smiled. "I gotta find Quil and Jared," he vowed. "See you when I see you."

"See you when you see me," Leah parroted, heading left at the fork in the road while her former boyfriend head right. The walk from the fork in the road to the Clearwater house wasn't a marathon, but it sure felt like one. Leah no longer felt comfortable walking alone, now that she's come to realize how enjoyable company was. She suddenly felt colder in a way now that Sam was apart from her. Even Jacob and Seth had the effect on her. She was thankful that the Washington summer had held back on rain for the past week; she couldn't imagine being lonely, cold, _and_ wet on the eight minute walk from the fork to her house.

Sue was in the kitchen by the time Leah returned home after a particularly long seven hours. Her first instinct was to look for Seth, who she couldn't find.

"Did you have fun on patrol?" Sue asked sarcastically. She would never know what it's like to be on patrol, but she knew that most wolves seemed to resent it fiercely.

"Oodles and oodles of fun," Leah answered, equally sarcastically. "I wish I could have double patrol every day."

"Double patrol is.. bad, right?" Sue asked dumbly.

"Depends on if you like being on patrol, which nobody does."

"What's it even _like_ to be on patrol?" Sue asked, giving in to curiosity, fearing Leah might laugh at her question. "What's it even like to be a _werewolf?"_

"It's great and it sucks at the same time," Leah said. "I'm surprised it took you so long to finally ask."

"I thought it would be a dumb question," Sue admit sheepishly. "I thought it would be weird to ask my two werewolf children," she continued. "I never thought I would say that sentence in my lifetime, and here we are. Anyways, patrol?"

"It's like walking around in a big circle for hours. Like a football track."

"Walking?" Sue asked, wondering if she heard her daughter right.

"Wolves can run as easy as humans can walk without getting tired."

"News to me."

"Look at how much you're learning from your werewolf daughter."

"I wonder how much I can learn from my werewolf son next," Sue said, adjusting her vision slightly, looking just beyond Leah instead of right at her. Leah was confused at first until she heard her brother's voice from the door behind her.

"What type of screwball conversation did I just walk in on?" Seth asked cautiously, smiling as always. Seth Clearwater was a very difficult person to catch not smiling.

"Nothing much, just werewolves and patrol," Leah answered.

"Wow, my two favorite topics," Seth added jokingly.

"Speaking of patrol, squirt, you don't usually sweat that much coming off patrol, are you okay?" Leah asked, her voice growing slightly more serious as the question progressed.

"I'm fine, just tired," Seth said. "I think I did most of the running. Paul refused to take patrol seriously when he was running with a 'child', in his words."

"Drink something," Sue ordered, almost as worried as Leah, who was giving Seth a more extensive check-up than she gave Embry.

"I'm not thirsty," Seth insisted, laughing lightly at how much his family was fretting over his health.

"You're gonna die of dehydration," Leah predicted, looking over his arm.

"I think the chances of that are pretty low," Seth defended. Leah gasped.

"Where'd you get this cut?" Leah asked, motioning to Seth's arm. It was the first time he noticed the small cut on his arm. He took it a lot better than his sister and mother, peering at it curiously for a few seconds before shrugging it off.

"I dunno. It'll heal in five minutes, I'm sure," Seth said, waving it off. "I probably just bumped into a tree or something. You guys are so overprotective," he inferred, laughing. Leah covered him in a hug before he could whine further.

"I'm not losing you to a damn _tree_ because Paul is lazy, Seth," Leah said. "I'd rather you die in a _cooler_ way." Seth chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to work on that," he promised.

"Hello, hello?" A voice called from outside. Leah released Seth so that all three could turn to the door, though the voice came from beyond it. "It's Billy Black," the voice clarified. Sue set down her glass cup and went outside to meet him as the two werewolves eavesdropped from the kitchen. "Sorry, your house isn't exactly wheelchair accessible. I know I shouldn't used the back door, but this is.." Billy continued, as Seth lost interest. Leah instead went to the door so that Billy could see her.

"Did Jacob ever come home?" Leah asked.

"He did, Leah," he confirmed. "He was late, but he did come home."

"Thanks," Leah said, relieved. Longer periods of wolfing could lead to consequences. Vanishing from his sights as he continued with Sue, Leah turned her attention back to her brother, noticing the more serious glint in his eyes over the loving and joking one that had been there seconds before. She was worried what he might say.

"I heard what you said about Quil yesterday morning," Seth spoke up gently.

"It was stupid," Leah offered, hoping it would get her brother to lay off. Even though he didn't look mad or disappointed, she didn't like the way Seth sounded.

"Yeah, it was," Seth agreed. His agreement hurt Leah more. She expected him to defend her side at least a _little_. "Try not to break Quil's spirit too much?"

"Promise," Leah said. She intended to uphold that promise, for both Seth and Quil. Before her brother could grill her more, Sue reentered somewhat hastily.

"What was that?" Seth asked, seemingly forgetting that he was upset with Leah seconds before. _God, I love that kid._

"Nothing interesting," Sue answered. "Just some council stuff I wasn't there to hear."

"Yeah, sounds pretty boring," Leah said. Sue rolled her eyes.

"Try being on the council," Sue countered. Leah couldn't think of a counterpoint. Being on the council was probably much worse than hearing about it secondhand. Leah was soon distracted by the unnaturally high temperature and humidity of the house. It wasn't common for the weather to be so sunny in La Push, even in the dead of summer.

"It's insufferably humid in here," Leah commented, leaving the kitchen and heading to the porch. The air wasn't any colder, but it was somehow easier to breathe. It didn't take long for Leah to notice that her brother accompanied her, sitting down across from her. They both knew their assigned seats. "Too hot for you too, Seth?"

"Guess you could say that," Seth replied. Leah suddenly felt rather dumb for accusing him of overworking himself by his sweat alone; he very well could've gotten it all on the walk home. Leah was worried her brother would nail her more about Quil, but a quick glance at him showed that he might've forgot the conversation even happened. "How things go with the Cullens?"

"Things went fine," Leah answered, slightly cautious. "Better than expected, even. None of the leeches hit anyone this time."

"Did they find the symbol?"

"They have a whole lot of guesses, but nothing certain," Leah answered, leaving out the possible Volturi match. If the vampires couldn't verify it with a valid source other than speculation, she didn't feel the need to fill her brother in on the details. Now Leah was more nervous than ever, having to tell Seth about the elephant in the room: Embry's situation. "But," she continued, "Embry.. fainted on the way back." Leah braced herself slightly for what reaction Seth would have.

"He did?" Seth asked, turning to her, clearly very worried. "Is he okay? Did he die? Is he sick? Is he -"

"Stop," Leah halted. "One at a time."

"But -"

 _"Stop,"_ she repeated. "One at a time, Sethseth. Choose which question you'd rather hear the answer to first, and ask it."

"Is Embry dead?" Seth asked. Leah almost facepalmed. _That's his most dire question?_

"No, Embry isn't dead," Leah answered, stifling a small laugh. "He was okay the last time I saw him, maybe twenty-five minutes ago."

"Is Embry _going_ to dead?" Seth asked. Leah sighed. Seth had always been fond of excessive worrying. "I mean die," he shyly corrected.

"No, Embry isn't going to dead," Leah teased. "He'll be fine. You have my word."

"If you say so," Seth said, slightly calmer. He could work himself up just as fast as he could calm down. Leah figured she didn't need to sink any more effort convincing her brother that Embry would live. A few silent seconds passed before a familiar noise swam through the air. It annoyed Leah now just as much as it used to annoy her back in the day. The sound of Seth's phone ringing. It annoyed Leah simply because he never changed it from the default ringtone, and annoyed her even more once she realized who the likely caller was. Seth dug his phone out of his pocket and read the caller ID, looking to Leah to confirm what they both already knew. _What on Earth could Bella Cullen want right now?_

"You gonna take that?" Leah asked after the second ring.

"Yeah, but I really don't want to," Seth said, getting up and traveling ten feet from his sister. He let a third ring go by as he tried to move all his energy into his voice, trying to sound like the joyful Seth Clearwater everyone knew, Bella especially. "Heyo?" Seth managed, surprisingly happily. This time Leah was close enough to eavesdrop.

 _"Hey, Seth, just checking in,"_ Bella said. Her voice alone made Leah want to amputate her ears like Van Gogh.

"Check away."

_"Is everyone okay? I got a kinda frantic call from Carlisle the other day."_

"Everyone is okay, yeah! Just been pretty hectic on the rez these past few days."

_"Carlisle said that the Quileute went to talk to them?"_

"We did. Twice. Actually - three times, today, heh."

_"And he said that someone showed up with an injury, but he didn't know their name."_

"Oh yeah - Embry. Leah thinks that he'll be okay."

_"That's good. Carlisle mentioned Jacob phasing as well?"_

"He did. Did he also mention that one of the vampires pushed me for 'standing too close'?" Seth asked. His tone managed to be a joking one, as if he thought it was more funny than anything else.

 _"I think he did,"_ Bella answered, as if she wasn't sure but also not surprised. _"I'm sorry they did that."_

"I'll live," Seth replied. Leah was astonished at his ability to sound so cheerful while talking to Isabella Marie Cullen.

_"We may be coming home soon. Try to stay out of trouble, you and the wolves. Don't do anything stupid."_

"When have we ever done anything stupid?" Seth asked, half-joking, knowing Bella probably had a list somewhere.

_"Just stay safe, rascal. We'll be back soon. Edward says hi, and he misses you already."_

"Heh, tell him I said hi back," Seth answered. Leah noticed how his arm twitched uncomfortably at the mention of Edward's name, as if it was the last name he wanted to hear. _Aren't Seth and Edward like, best friends or whatever?_ Leah noticed the small nervousness in his voice when he asked Bella to say hi back to him.

_"See you soon?"_

"See you soon!" Seth bid, hanging up on Bella. She never liked to be the one to hang up, and it was near impossible for anyone to hang up on Seth anyway. He was such a ray of sunshine to everyone he spoke to that minuscule things like hanging up on him would make anyone feel guilty and mean, even if the conversation was over. Seth sighed exasperatedly and head back to his spot across from Leah, pocketing his phone.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I just hear Bella call you a _rascal?"_ Leah asked critically, as if disgusted. Seth smiled.

"Yeah. It was a little weird," Seth agreed. Leah wondered if it was a regular thing between them. She hoped it wasn't. Bella wasn't close enough to Seth to have nicknames for him.

"Correct me again, but did I see you tense up when Bella mentioned Edward?" Leah asked. Seth looked away.

"Were you listenin' to that whole phone call?"

"I can't help it, I'm a werewolf. You dodged the question."

"I dunno, _did_ I tense up? I didn't notice."

"What do you mean, _you didn't notice?_ I'm an eyewitness. You're an armwitness."

"Maybe I did. It's not something I keep records of."

"I thought you and Edward were like, best friends forever and all that gross stuff," Leah interrogated. Seth was silently, nervously looking around more. She knew she had him cornered. "You're not getting out of this conversation, Seth."

"I can try," he mumbled. _That's pretty much a confirmation I'm right._

"What happened between you two? You practically went to the wedding with a friendship bracelet, and came back strangely distant with him. Did something happen?"

"I.. guess?" Seth answered sheepishly, desperately wanting to get out of the conversation somehow. "Is it usually this hot in La Push?"

"What happened between you two? Did he hit you? Threaten you? Hurt you? If he did _anything_ to you so help me I'll _massacre_ Edward, then bring him back to life, and _massacre him again_ so many times that they'll have to put _Dead-ward_ on his gravesto-"

"It wasn't one thing," Seth cut off. "It's just.. something he's been _doing_ that I only _found out about_ recently."

"Tell me."

Seth was quiet.

_"Tell me."_

Seth was still quiet. It looked like he was upset.

"You're being stubborn."

"Sorry, have we.. met before?" Seth smirked.

"Tell me what Edward's been doing to you so that I can decide whether or not I'm mailing him dynamite."

"Well.." Seth started. If he didn't tell her now, she would never let it go. "You know how he can read minds and stuff, right?"

"That's his defining characteristic," Leah nodded. "I'm struggling to name _other_ characteristics."

"Right, well, at the wedding, he told me something about having.. 'one of the purest, kindest minds he's ever encountered'?"

"I'm listening," Leah said after he paused. _That's the only thing Edward has ever been right with._

"I jokingly asked him how he knew, and he gave me a serious answer," Seth answered, still not looking Leah in the eye.

"Uh-huh," she padded.

"He said that sometimes he liked to just.. silently listen to my thoughts, sometimes? I felt really violated when he told me.. like, apart from phasing, my thoughts are supposed to be my own, right? And Edward was just.. listening, no respect for privacy."

"That little.." Leah said, standing up. "What pile of sand is he honeymooning on? I'm sending an airstrike."

"I'm fine, Lee," Seth assured, silently urging her to sit back down. "I just.. don't think I'd feel comfortable with him around anymore." Leah sighed, sitting back down.

"I told you they were trouble."

"They aren't trouble. Just that Edward is a little creepy."

"If you say so," Leah grumbled, trying to defuse the anger inside of her. She was never on board with Seth being all buddy-buddy with the vampires across town, and she couldn't stand seeing Edward take advantage of her brother for what looked like entertainment. She couldn't deny it did satisfy her to see their friendship fall apart, but she wished it would happen a little less painfully. She applauded Seth for taking it as well as he did. He managed to hide it for a long time. A few minutes of quiet passed between them, with Leah planning all the ways she could hurt Edward when he came back, and with Seth fruitlessly hoping Leah wasn't planning on hurting anyone.

"Hey," a voice tentatively called, startling both wolves, who were so engrossed in thought that they missed hearing the approaching footsteps for the last two minutes.

"Hi, Jared," Seth greeted happily. His happiness was contagious to every pack member but Leah, who was naturally immune to joy.

"Is it normally this hot around your house?" Jared asked, fanning himself.

"Is it not this temperature all over the reservation?"

"I wouldn't know, I haven't been all over the reservation," Jared defended. "Have you seen Sam?"

"Not since I left Embry's," Leah answered. Remembering something, she was suddenly confused and worried. "He said he was looking for you," she supplied. Jared adopted her confused and worried attitude, looking at Seth, who shook his head, not knowing anything.

"Sam never made it."


	13. Genetics

Leah was only using to phasing under fairly specific circumstances.

She was most used to having Seth and Seth only in the pack mind with her. That was the default position for the Leah-wolf and the Leah-wolf certainly didn't like messing with the program. Leah had become used to having Jacob and Jacob only in the pack mind with her, although it was still a learning progress to completely readjust. The third scenario Leah was comfortable with was the entire pack, all at once. With every wolf sharing one mind, it was easy to switch focus quickly so that one given wolf wouldn't be too prominent over the other. It was a fine rhythm and Leah knew exactly how to navigate in those three scenarios.

This, however, wasn't in Leah's skill set.

Seth, Jared, and two mystery wolves she had yet to fully identify were sharing her head space and she wasn't sure how to go about it. Leah was reminded of why she didn't particularly like phasing with Jared: his wolf was very loud and seemed to be everywhere. It felt like he was occupying all five of her senses and she hated it. Without the company of every wolf to balance him out, the Jared-wolf was well and truly suffocating.

 _I'm still right here,_ Jared reminded. Leah could tell he took offense to the comment, but not much, as he was too focused on the task at hand. They knew that if Sam was phased, they could easily save themselves a long while of searching if they found him in the pack mind in five minutes as opposed to sinking hours trying to find him human only to realize they wouldn't find him there anyways. _Is anyone else here?_

 _I'm here,_ Quil voiced. Jared was happy to just hear someone else's thoughts. _Sam is here, too. Or he was a few minutes ago._

 _Yeah, he's here. He's just quiet,_ Leah confirmed. She was the champion of identifying wolves in the pack mind. She knew that Sam usually inhaled twice every five seconds, and his breathing tone matched his naturally deep tone. It often only took her five seconds to find him in the pack mind. She also knew that Quil was there before he even revealed himself, by the way her left paws ached a small bit. Quil was a southpaw, and he landed on his left paws much harder than any other wolf landed on their right. _Why're you quiet, Sam? You love talking._

 _I'm tired, Leah,_ Sam voiced. A collective sigh of relief sounded in the pack mind. _Tired wolves don't think much._

 _You don't think much at all anyways,_ Leah quipped. Sam was amused, though was too tired to properly laugh. _What're you tired from, anyway?_ Without supplying an audible answer, Sam turned his head to show something through the pack mind, projecting his eyes. On the ground beside him was the mangled dead body of a young female vampire. Jared and Seth gasped. _Got in a fight?_

 _Yeah,_ Sam managed.

 _And who's on patrol, exactly?_ Jared asked tentatively.

 _Quil is,_ he managed back.

 _You got to Quil before you got to me?_ Jared pieced together. _And got attacked before you could make it?_

 _In essence,_ Sam replied, his voice returning. _I kinda forgot that Quil was due for patrol when I dismissed him after the confrontation,_ he explained. Quil was silent.

 _So you went to Quil's, put him on patrol, and on your way to me, you got attacked?_ Jared asked.

 _That's correct,_ Sam clarified.

 _Can we have more details, please?_ Leah asked. _This is a kinda major thing you're skipping over._

 _It's nothing major, really,_ Sam assured, closing his eyes and replaying the fight in his head into the pack mind. They noticed how the vampire didn't have much of a plan, and seemingly just hopped out of the woods and started throwing punches. The pack assumed their power was something similar to masking their smell from predators, by the way it took Sam by total surprise. They also weren't surprised to see him phase. Leah wondered how long the group had been stalking them to know so much about their defenses and weaknesses.

 _Good job,_ Seth complimented.

 _I didn't hear a howl,_ Leah stated smugly. _What a terrible crime you've just commit. Fighting a leech without howling. Tsk tsk._

 _The rules are different for Alphas,_ Sam defended, knowing he'd been caught as a hypocrite.

_What, you mean you get to break them?_

_Precisely._

_Did you find the symbol on it?_ Jared asked.

 _Negative,_ Sam replied, sounding like he was disappointed. It was uncommon for them to not find the symbol anymore. _Better than finding a_ different _symbol, I guess. It's dead, though, so I gotta burn it before it reanimates or whatever it is vampires do when not burned._ With that, Sam's voice faded quickly and wasn't tangible anymore. The pack quietly snickered behind his back.

 _He still has that lighter, doesn't he?_ Jared laughed.

_I think so. He said a free lighter was a free lighter._

_Why did he keep it so long, though? Why did he have it with him just now?_

_Maybe he imprinted on it,_ Leah suggested. The pack collectively giggled at the thought. _It's possible!_

_Is it, though? A lighter doesn't have eyes. Even less of a reason for him to still have it._

_It's a good lighter!_ Sam defended, his voice taking the pack by surprise. _It still has a lot of lighter fluid left, and I'm gonna use it, dammit._

 _Whatever you say, lighter-wolf,_ Jared taunted. Sam rolled his eyes in defeat, knowing that his legacy was probably forever changed the second he decided to keep the lighter. Leah noticed the irritation in her left paws growing, remembering that Quil was still there with them, but was oddly quiet.

 _I'm not bein' quiet,_ Quil defended sheepishly.

 _You haven't said a word yet,_ Leah argued lightly.

_Of course I haven't said anything. We're thinking._

_Still being quiet._

_Seth's being quiet too, what difference does it make?_

_Don't bring me into this,_ Seth warned playfully. _I'm just an innocent bystander._

 _Jared?_ Sam asked to put the wolves back on track. _Can you accompany Quil on patrol until six?_

 _Surely,_ Jared barked excitedly, getting to his paws and beginning his route around La Push's perimeter.

 _Quil was alone on the schedule I got,_ Leah complained.

 _He was,_ Sam agreed, _and now he's with Jared. Any questions?_

 _None apart from 'what the hell?'_ Leah grumbled. _You aren't following the patrol schedule at all._

 _I'm making some alterations,_ Sam offered. _I made the schedule, I have the right to change it._

_Didn't Jared already do his patrol for the day?_

_He did,_ Sam agreed, _and now he's with Quil. It's only for a few hours._

 _That's just a fancy way of saying he's on double patrol,_ Leah pointed out.

 _I don't care, really,_ Jared mediated with a lie. No pack member enjoyed double patrol. Most wolves were rather out of breath or dead on the ground by the end of patrol, and Jared wasn't exactly excited to inevitably run himself into an early grave, but he didn't want to leave Quil nor the borders vulnerable. The paperclip clan seemed to be timing their attacks to slip onto the reservation during patrol switches, with most sightings being right before or right after a wolf swap.

 _Is this whole 'screw the schedule' attitude gonna affect me at all?_ Leah asked.

 _Probably not you,_ Sam deduced. _You already did your patrol for today, and this is a different case than Jared's. Maybe Seth's will change, if anyone here._ As soon as his name was mentioned, Seth straightened up, awaiting an order. After very briefly referencing Seth's memories, Sam made his decision. _You're free to go, Seth. This block'll be Quil and Jared._

 _What'll happen to my patrol spot?_ Seth asked. _Nine-to-midnight, with Paul?_

 _I'll figure it out, don't worry,_ Sam assured. _Nine-to-midnight with Paul won't be necessary. I'll think of something._

 _Really?_ Seth thought dumbly, questioning what he was hearing. He thought around the pack mind for a confirmation or acknowledgement from the other wolves that he wasn't imagining something wild in Sam's voice. The pack was amused at Seth's attempted rationalization.

 _You're okay, Seth. Really. You're free to go,_ Sam insisted. Without asking another time, Seth ran from Leah with a wolfy smile and vanished from the pack mind twenty seconds after. _Alright, Jared, you'll run on patrol with Quil until six. Collin and Brady are still on from six to nine, and we'll wing it from nine to midnight like we did the other day._

 _So you're just dissolving the nine to midnight spot? What's wrong with Seth and Paul doing it?_ Jared asked.

_Seth's memories proved that Paul isn't a good match for him. Paul didn't do a damn thing. We'll figure it out in the morning._

_Alright,_ Jared agreed, with the last syllable being fused with a yawn, which spread to Quil near instantly. Sam skeptically checked Jared's vision, which confirmed what he already knew: Jared was clearly very tired. His vision was cut off at the top and bottom slightly, and the rest was dulled and blurred slightly. Switching from Jared's vision to Quil's, Sam couldn't even tell the difference for the first few seconds. Both wolves were unfit for patrol.

_Are you tired or somethin'?_

_No!_ Quil and Jared defended immediately, perking up as best they could and pushing themselves to run faster. Quil narrowly dodged an oak tree he near rammed himself into on accident. Seeing the sorry state his pack brothers were in, Sam knew he couldn't let them patrol for hours on end.

 _Forget it, I changed my mind,_ Sam announced. _You're off the hook, both of you._

 _Whaa?_ Quil sounded, seemingly disappointed to be let off patrol, pushing himself even faster somehow.

 _Take a hike, you two. I'll oversee patrol myself until midnight, or a quarter to or whatever,_ Sam thought up on the fly. The two patrolling wolves were having none of it, suddenly desperate to be on patrol. Sam wasn't sure if they were making up some oddball reverse psychology in their heads. _This isn't a trick. You're too tired to be on patrol._

 _But what.._ Jared tried to argue before a yawn cut him off, which spread to Quil again.

_The fact that you can't argue your case on account of yawning proves my point before you could make a sad attempt to prove yours. Get outta here, guys._

_What about the patrol schedule?_ Leah asked before Jared or Quil could argue. _Aren't you overlapping through Collin and Brady's slot by staying on to midnight?_

_Don't get your tail in a twist. When Collin and Brady come by, I'll turn them away. I probably wouldn't have let them do it anyways, considering I was just attacked._

_They can take care of themselves as wolves. They aren't incompetent. Collin and Brady were on patrol when the trio came a couple of days ago and it worked out._

_Except that Embry got attacked and is still recovering from the injury as we think._

_Okay, but it worked out, didn't it?_

_You call Embry getting stabbed in the shoulder 'working out'?_

_You're missing the point._

_Either way, I'm doing patrol until midnight. Collin and Brady are exempt from patrol today, and so are Jared and Quil._

_Who's your partner gonna be?_ Jared asked tiredly, secretly hoping Sam would choose him. Sam could read this hope like an open scroll. Tired wolves have less filters on what does and doesn't flood into the pack mind on accident.

 _I'll do it solo. Lone wolf style,_ Sam answered, purposefully going around choosing Jared or Quil as his partner. Both whined in retaliation. _Will you two hush up?_

 _I shan't!_ Jared complained. _I'm assigned to run patrol, and I'm gonna run patrol._

_Technically you aren't assigned at all, Jared. Your name isn't on the schedule._

_Neither is yours, Sam. You told me to patrol until six and dammit, I'm gonna patrol until six. You can't stop me,_ Jared vowed, suddenly determined, yawning a third time. Sam sighed, starting to hate the iron stubbornness everyone in his pack seemed to have. They only seemed to listen to him when it benefited them, and never let him go back on his word to correct things. He wondered if he could use Alpha commands to put wolves to sleep. _Don't you dare,_ Jared warned, half firm and half worried.

 _Don't,_ Quil warned in a similar tone to Jared's. Sam smirked, seemingly finding the solution to his troubles.

 _Jared, Quil,_ Sam started, careful to address the stubborn wolves by name as not to affect Leah, _**sleep.**_

Both wolves were asleep in seconds. Quil barely had enough time and agility to dodge a tree before crashing to the ground as gingerly as possible, while Jared had enough sense to stop running as soon as he heard his name and accept his fate, falling vertically downward and nothing else. Sam grinned in victory. He wasn't sure exactly how long it would last, but he hoped it would be at least a patrol session of silence. Leah could feel the paternal Alpha love radiating from Sam to see the pack brothers he cares about calm and asleep instead of pushing themselves trying to guard the borders of the reservation on low energy.

 _You know you could've just commanded them to go home, right?_ Leah reminded, taking deep breaths. _Alpha commands can make a wolf do anything you want and you put them on the forest ground in what could be a coma, for all we know._

 _Hindsight is 20/20,_ Sam thought. _What's with the hyperventilating?_

 _I can finally breathe, Uley, and I'm taking advantage of it,_ Leah replied. _I don't know how you can stand to patrol with Jared for six hours twice or thrice a week. His wolf almost chokes you with his presence._

 _It's something you get used to,_ Sam explained, exhausted of his pack's antics.

_I don't understand how I can tolerate being in the pack mind with Jared when he's asleep but not when he's awake._

_Probably because the wolf is sleeping as opposed to.. y'know.. being himself,_ Sam offered. As close as he was to his third-in-command, there was no denying that his wolf was seemingly everywhere when in the pack mind with him. Sam advised Jared go wolfing three times a week to make it quieter, but to no avail. Sam eventually found where Jared was, sleeping on the ground, having been wandering the forest looking for him. Sam gave his pack brother a giant lick on the head, which caused Jared to stir, with Sam stilling him with a paw on the head.

 _You two gonna kiss or what?_ Leah asked, slightly disgusted by the display. Sam smiled and rolled his eyes, amused.

 _Don't you have somewhere to be?_ Sam retorted before starting his route around the perimeter of the reservation.

 _Nowhere but home,_ Leah admit.

 _I suggest you go there before I tire you out by just being in the pack mind,_ Sam recommended, his voice quieter as not to disturb the slumbering canines.

 _Don't have to tell me twice,_ Leah replied eagerly, accidentally remembering what happened between her only patrol with Sam. She remembered the way she felt, the way she struggled to keep her bother out of the pack mind for a quarter of the day, and the way she felt like crying for the rest of the day after, with Sam himself being oblivious for days afterward. Sam felt terrible in the present for the way he acted in the past. Leah felt terrible for showing it to him in the pack mind, accidentally or otherwise. Guilt from two different eras, coloring the pack mind at once.

 _I_ am _sorry for that, you know,_ Sam apologized, so quiet that Leah was surprised she even heard it to begin with. She had heard him apologize for that patrol so many times in the past that his words on the matter had lost their meaning; they were like wallpaper to her. But it was different this time hearing it. In addition to simply hearing him say it, she could also _feel_ how sorry he was, through the benefit of sharing his mind. She could see how it pained him to subject her to it, and then be clueless about it afterwards. It was the most immersive apology Leah had ever received.

 _I forgive you, knucklehead,_ Leah thought back after a while, finally accepting his apology months in the making. Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

 _Never thought I'd see the day,_ he thought, the tiredness of his relentless attempts at making it up to her hitting him all at once. Leah grumbled.

 _I think I forgave you a while ago, Sam,_ Leah admit, both shyly and annoyed. _As pathetic as it is, I don't think I can really stay mad at you._

_I shall use that to my advantage._

_Don't push it,_ Leah warned. _You may have gotten lucky this time, but next time I'll be sure to get twice as mad out of spite._

_I'll be sure to remember that._

_Well, that's my cue,_ Leah thought, arriving at her designated changing tree. _Adios, partner,_ she called before phasing out, not in the proper mood to share a brain with Sam and two of her sleeping pack brothers. Jared may not have been conscious, but Leah's instinct told her not to spend any more time with him than she had to, and she wasn't in the mood to see Quil, either. Leah changed as fast as she could. Her mother was probably wondering where her children were, with the two werewolves having left as soon as Jared explained the situation. Seth would have been home by that point, but he wouldn't know what Leah's situation was. The cold weather was also a motivating factor.

As Leah walked home, she tried to sort out and organize what she had just seen. The best advice she could give herself was to only remember and store the things she knew for sure. _Sam was attacked by a vampire without a paperclip,_ she added to her memory banks. If it did have the symbol on it, Sam couldn't find it, Leah adjusted. _Seth is off patrol from nine to midnight,_ she continued, envying her brother for getting to skip patrol simply because he happened to be later that day. _Alpha commands can apparently render wolves asleep,_ she added, curious. Leah wondered how it worked. She couldn't force herself to sleep on a dime if someone told her to, and yet she watched Quil and Jared do it in milliseconds. By the time the Clearwater property popped into view on the horizon, Leah had only properly sorted three things into her memory.

Sue was waiting for her on the porch as Leah approached, holding a juice box. Leah didn't even realize she wanted one until Sue held her hand out and allowed Leah to take it.

"How did you know I was in the mood for one?" Leah asked, stabbing the straw into the box of juice. Sue smiled warmly, leading her into the house.

"A mother always knows."

『••✎••』

Leah's first instinct when she woke up told her that it was unnaturally early. Her second told her it was unnaturally late.

Her third told her to turn her head and check the time on her glowing digital clock. Giving into that instinct revealed to her that it was fifteen minutes to midnight. She wasn't quite sure what woke her up until she heard a slight commotion from down the hall. _Yeah, it's gonna be one of those days, isn't it?_ Leah sighed, rolling out of bed as best she could and made her way down the hall. The voice didn't belong to Quil or Sam, the two most likely pack brothers to be in her house at midnight, but instead it sounded like Paul to her. As soon as she entered the main room, she sighed. Paul Lahote was the last person she wanted to see at midnight.

"It's too early to be dealing with this," Leah groaned. Paul smiled.

"Too late, you mean?" Paul corrected, grinning. Leah stuck her tongue out briefly. Her pack brother was eating an apple she figured he stole from their counter.

"What're you even doing here?" Leah asked sourly. Sue was nowhere to be found, which Leah thought was odd.

"Well, since Sam is out of action, we need someone to fill the midnight patrol spot with Embry, so I'm here to collect Seth."

"Seth isn't cut out for midnight patrol!" Leah argued as quietly as possible. Paul shrugged.

"He's the most able-bodied candidate available," Paul offered. "Besides, Embry likes Seth."

"Why can't you get Jacob? Is he 'able-bodied' enough for your liking? Seth has never been on midnight patrol before. Jacob has."

"He wasn't home," Paul explained casually, finishing his apple. Leah grumbled to herself. _Where in the world could Jacob be right now?_ Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the previously quiet Seth getting ready, still clearly tired, while Sue was nowhere to be found. "Wait, weren't you the one who was making the big fuss out of the patrol schedule, anyway? And now you wanna interfere?"

"This is different," Leah managed, exhausted, before growing confused. "How do you even know about that? You weren't there."

"Word gets around," Paul offered, smiling in the dark.

"By a bunch of snitches?"

"Are you surprised that the pack is a bunch of snitches, or is it your first time hearing?" Paul asked, his idiotic grin growing. Leah groaned, seemingly defeated.

"I'll take Seth's spot on patrol," Leah spit out quietly, half-regretting it as soon as she said it.

"Oh?" Paul stuttered, seemingly surprised at first. "Actually, I'm not surprised. This is, what, the second time in two weeks you've taken someone's patrol?"

"I think it's the second time in _one_ week," Leah corrected, sighing. _This has been a long ass week._

"I'm fine doing midnight patrol, sis," Seth mediated. "Really."

"The fact that you think so proves that you aren't, little brother," Leah argued. "I've heard horror stories about it and I'm not letting you do it, and you can't stop me."

"Good enough for me," Paul shrugged. "Best of luck to ya. I suggest you hurry, because you got maybe five minutes to roll call."

"Will you get out of my house already?" Leah snapped, looking for something soft yet firm she could fling at her pack brother. Without needing to be hit with a projectile to get the message, Paul left the house with nothing more than a condescending smile. Leah sighed again, struggling and looking around to get ready, putting a banana in each hand. Pack members would often take nonperishable food from their kitchens and throw it on the ground near their route so they could get food should they need it. She knew she still had spare spare clothes on her backup tree from a few days before; they would have to suffice. Leah could feel Seth's eyes locked on her the entire time she got ready.

"You're not really taking my spot, are you?" Seth finally asked.

"You're damn right I'm taking your spot," Leah nodded, as if it was a stupid question. Seth sighed.

"There's no getting through to Leah Clearwater, is there?"

"Nope," Leah answered proudly. "And don't you forget it."

With that, Leah left the house and was chilled immediately. She took it as a bad sign that things were going to go very poorly. She was shocked at how Paul did it, and didn't even look phased by it at all. Leah shivered all the way into the woods, planning her route ahead of time, knowing that she would need to get to the Delta Tree by the end, where he spare clothes were. _There's probably bugs and shit in them by now,_ she sighed, trying not to think about it. She knew they would have to suffice, in any case, as she didn't have anything else prepared. The walk was longer, but it'll be morning by the time that comes. _Might as well get it over with,_ Leah sighed for the umpteenth time, phasing into the pack mind, where Embry already was.

 _Leah?_ Embry asked quietly, confused.

 _Leah,_ she confirmed. _Were you expecting Sam?_

 _I was expecting Seth,_ Embry admit.

 _Same difference,_ Leah figured, her voice louder than Embry's.

 _Try not to make too much noise,_ Embry cautioned. _Jared and Quil are still sleeping._

 _Really?_ Leah asked, lowering her voice, surprised that she managed not to detect the two in the pack mind. _What sedatives does Sam have them on?_

_Alpha command enforced sedatives._

_Yeah, but they've been out since 5:30, over six hours ago._

_Shhh,_ Embry quieted. Leah noticed the quiet buzzes of Jared and Quil shake and dance a little before settling into the static of the background again. _You're new to midnight patrol, aren't you?_ Embry asked in a voice quiet enough to go unnoticed by the non-patrollers. Leah nodded. Though Embry couldn't see it, he was aware that it happened. _I was, too, less than a week ago. It's hard at first but you learn quick. I'll show you the ropes if you need it._

 _Nothing better to do,_ Leah offered, remembering to keep her voice low when she felt Quil stir and whine quietly.

_Alright, so the first step is to take advantage of your night vision._

_I'm pretty sure we were both doing that anyways,_ Leah pointed out quietly.

 _Yeah, but like, don't forget to, alright?_ Embry reminded, a little annoyed.

 _Whatever you say, boss,_ Leah thought, doubting that anyone would have trouble with it.

 _Next is you should probably run on the inner or outer edge of the reservation because there's less trees there,_ Embry recommended. Jared twitched a little to the noise before settling. _If you see a tree coming head-on towards you, roll to one side. Pick a direction and go with it because you won't have time to change your mind. Rolling on the forest floor is better than smashing your face, you just need good reaction time. Also, embrace your night-vision. You're gonna need it._

 _Good advice,_ Leah thought sarcastically.

 _Also, try to keep only one or two paws on the ground at any given time. The less paws on the ground, the lower the chance you'll trip over something. If you can help it, try to jump as often as possible so you don't trip and fall,_ Embry continued. _And you better hope I don't trip, either, because if I fall and hit my cut, the pain will probably spread to you._

 _Wonderful,_ Leah commented, putting her hope in her pack brother that he wasn't as clumsy as she thought. _Anything else?_

 _Them's the basics,_ Embry thought. Quil flicked his ear a little, reminding Embry to stay quiet. _Now all that's left is to practice. Go for it, and try to keep quiet._

 _Alright,_ Leah thought. The lessons seemed simple enough, and she didn't think she'd have trouble following them. Without further word from Embry, she quietly recalled everything he had told her and incorporated them into her route. She sided with defending the outer rim of the reservation after seeing that Embry was taking the inner, and was slightly surprised to see that he was right: there were less trees on the outer rim. While still rather tired, Leah managed to follow all of Embry's advice. She was briefly snagged by a tree root, but otherwise she managed to get through the first thirty minutes of her first midnight patrol without an incident. Leah's skillful navigation through the midnight forest almost rivaled Embry, even though she was only at it for less than an hour.

Eventually, the background noise of the pack mind slowly wriggled to the forefront. Quil's buzzes got clearer and clearer until they transitioned from sleeping radio static to the relaxed confusion of a waking wolf. Quil's eyes were barely open, Leah could tell, before she sprung on him.

 _Rise and shine, sleepyhead,_ Leah teased. Quil was evidently embarrassed.

 _How long was I asleep for?_ Quil asked, ungracefully louder than Leah's thoughts were the moment before, with the sudden change in volume triggering a wake-up response in the Jared-wolf as well. Jared's waking was much less smooth than Quil's, with his first instinct being looking around for danger.

 _Huh?_ Jared managed. _Is it nighttime?_

 _Yeah. You've been asleep for maybe seven hours now,_ Leah answered bluntly. She was surprised that Jared was much easier to tolerate than he usually was. It didn't feel like he was down her throat anymore. Nobody commented on Leah's thoughts, and Jared might not have even heard them.

 _Damn,_ Quil thought in good spirits. _That's a while._

 _It sure is a while,_ Embry confirmed. _You might wanna head on home before the SWAT team comes looking for two missing teenagers._

 _Right,_ Jared thought sleepily, phasing out almost immediately after. Quil followed suit without words. Leah was thrown off by their lack of a formal parting phrase.

 _Alright, you've been doing pretty well so far,_ Embry complimented. _Next lesson._

『••✎••』

Patrol ended much quicker than Leah would have expected.

Embry's lessons made her first midnight patrol surprisingly tolerable. Leah almost wanted it to be more of a miserable experience so she could fit in with the wolves complaining about midnight patrol, but she couldn't come up with anything that was worse than her _regular_ patrol. Embry and his lessons had a special way of making the time whiz by faster than Leah could realize that she had spent six hours with her pack brother. The Leah-wolf arrived at the Delta Tree where her clothes had been left for her by herself, several days in the past.

 _Do you need me to help walk you home?_ Leah offered.

 _I don't need it, but if you wanna I won't stop you,_ Embry insisted. Leah could read that he didn't think it was necessary, but she was set on doing it anyways.

 _See you in a few, Embry,_ Leah promised, phasing out before he could say it back. Midnight patrol wolves were always in a hurry because there was always a slot between six in the morning and whenever the six onward wolves would arrive; and they would be late by definition. Midnight patrollers had to phase out, change, meetup at Sam's house, make the patrol schedule, and deliver it to the wolves who would take the shift after, burning as little time as possible. Sometimes Sam would make it a race, driving the wolves insane. _That's so like him,_ Leah thought, having finished changed with impressive timing. Leah wandered around the forest for a few minutes afterwards, eventually finding Embry to the rising sun, who waved to her flamboyantly.

"What do midnight patrol wolves even do with themselves?" Leah asked quietly. "We can't exactly go to sleep now. It's too early."

"Usually we go back to Sam's house and make the patrol schedules over freezing salted water and rainy weather while wishing we were anywhere else," Embry explained.

"Really?" Leah asked incredulously. Embry smiled.

"Of course not," Embry replied, much to Leah's relief. "It's over _coffee,_ not water."

"Come _on,_ Embry," Leah groaned, rolling her eyes. "Don't tease me like that."

"I tease whoever I want," Embry shot back cheekily. "Thanks for walking me home," he added, lowering his voice. Leah hadn't even noticed his house approaching. _How's he gonna sneak back in without his mother knowing?_ Leah thought, wondering how he was even able to sneak out every night. She then remembered that he _didn't_ often get away with it, and that his mother was probably waiting on the other side of the door as they spoke. _Good luck, Embry,_ Leah thought as she turned away from her pack brother, letting him face the likely wrath of his mother singlehandedly. Without much of a destination in mind, Leah found herself wandering towards Sam's house.

Leah didn't even realize she was heading in his direction for about three solid minutes. Upon noticing, she immediately felt embarrassed even though nobody was around to see it. _It's what Embry said midnight patrol wolves do,_ Leah rationalized. _I gotta help make the schedule,_ she added in defense of herself. _And to clarify yesterday's schedule which he was too stubborn to follow,_ Leah added, now having sufficient reasons to justify her early morning visit to her Alpha. Even though it didn't quite feel right despite her reasons, the Uley house popped up in front of Leah sooner than she thought it would.

Sam was already outside, looking curiously well and alert for someone who had slept from midnight to early morning for the first time in weeks. Looking at Leah as soon as she came into view, he was shocked for a half second until his surprise faded into realization.

"Yeah, I somehow knew you would take Seth's spot," Sam commented. "You're not one to follow rules, so I've learned."

"Ah, choke on it," Leah waved off. "I'm not letting my little brother run around in circles at midnight. Sue me."

"And I didn't expect you to, either," Sam admit. "When we single out patrol volunteers, when we say _Seth,_ we really mean _Leah._ "

"You guys are such assholes," Leah rolled her eyes. "It was my first time on the midnight block, whaddaya want from me?"

"A gold medal performance would be nice," Sam smirked. "But if you can only manage a silver, then we'll take what we can get."

"What do midnight patrol wolves even do with themselves afterwards?" Leah asked, changing the subject before she could let herself enjoy Sam's company more than she wanted to. "Embry mentioned something about making the patrol schedule over salted water, but then said coffee, so I'm not sure which drink he was lying about, or if he was just lying about the whole thing?" Leah asked, fearing the worst when Sam visibly struggled to contain his amusement. "Or was Embry just being a complete liar?"

"Nope, Embry spread the truth," Sam confirmed, nodding a little. "About making the patrol schedule, anyway. The water was a lie, and the coffee was a white lie. Uleys don't exactly bleed coffee, so we really only have it when we can afford it."

"And I assume that I'm the loser you gotta make the schedule with?" Leah asked, filling in imaginary blanks. Sam nodded.

"I wouldn't call you a loser, though. Just a very unlucky wolf," Sam said. "Besides, Jared isn't here, and if he ain't here by now, he's probably not coming, and _someone's_ gotta share this pain with me or else I might go insane."

"You haven't gone insane already?" Leah asked, pretending to be shocked. "Damn, I gotta call my mother. We had it wrong all along. There's still time to make bets about when you'll go insane by. We could be rich!" Leah plotted, raising her voice at hit points to exaggerate her story into something more exciting than it was. Sam smiled. "Also, is Jared who you're referring to when you mention your 'patrol cabinet'?" Leah asked, containing her laughter.

"Usually," Sam allowed, grinning, expecting ridicule. "But he ain't here."

"Yeah, clearly," Leah said, looking around expressively as if to search for Jared. "What kind of tranquilizer dart did you hit him with? He was dozing off well after midnight."

"No kidding?" Sam laughed. "Man, Alpha commands really can be powerful.. that or Jared was just really tired. Either way, he isn't here, unless he's hiding behind that tree," he said, pointing to a tree at the edge of his property. "So until-slash-if Jared shows up, you're stuck with designing this garbage with me."

"C'mon, you already hit me with midnight patrol, isn't that enough?" Leah complained, suddenly desperate to get out of it. It was the equivalent of being assigned jury duty to her.

"Technically I hit Seth with midnight patrol," Sam argued smugly.

"Seth wasn't notified of this little side project either."

"Yeah, leave it to Paul to forget that," Sam rolled his eyes. He expected very little of Paul to begin with, but even Sam was surprised that Paul hardly delivered half of the news he was assigned to. Sam specifically remembered telling Paul to include the bit about designing the schedule, and he remembered Paul nodding like an idiot. "It's easy, though, I promise. Sorry I can't get you coffee, it's a 'we're poor' day, but it won't take long."

"Alright," Leah groaned, giving in. "Let's design this thing."

"It helps to start with what we already know: midnight patrol," Sam explained, way too much excitement in his voice given the subject matter. Leah knew that Sam could probably make a toaster manual seem exciting. She always admired his whimsical personality and would never fully forgive his imprint for chopping so much of his good qualities away. "You and Embry. Midnight to six. Look at that, we're.. a sixth of the way there!"

_12am - 6am / Embry, Leah_

"Why'd you write Embry's name before mine?" Leah asked, genuinely curious without wanting to sound curious. "I thought we were friends."

"Because Embry was on midnight patrol before you were," Sam explained casually. "Whoever's on the slot first gets their name written first."

"But Seth was _always_ my partner and sometimes his name would be written before mine anyway," Leah argued.

"Sometimes I knew that Seth was free for a certain slot before I knew you were free," Sam explained, equally casual. "I just like to be organized."

"I don't see the organization in this," Leah complained. Sam waved her off, deeming it unimportant.

"Since you already ran your patrol," Sam said critically, yet lightly, "we'll have to stick Seth with someone else. Any bright ideas?"

"Jacob," Leah recommended. "Seth adores Jacob, and Jacob will be without a partner anyway. We can put 'em on later. Six to nine in the evening?"

"Sounds good to me," Sam allowed, penciling it in, writing it across several index cards at once.

_12am - 6am / Embry, Leah  
_ _6pm - 9pm / Seth, Jacob_

"Alright. Who's next?"

『••✎••』

"Clock it in," Sam said, setting his pencil down. "How long was that?"

"Something something ten minutes?" Leah predicted, looking over the schedule they agreed on.

_12am - 6am / Embry, Leah  
6am - 12pm / Quil, Paul  
12pm - 6pm / Collin, Brady  
6pm - 9pm / Seth, Jacob  
9pm - 6am / Sam, Jared_

"Usually Jared takes at least thirty. You're easily the best time I've had in months," Sam complimented.

"I still think it's stupid to run a nine hour shift," Leah complained. "You're gonna burn out and we'll have to pull you out of the forest with a bulldozer or something."

"We'll live," Sam promised, amused by the thought that he would die just by running nine hours when sometimes wolves ran twelve in a day.

"What about Collin and Brady? You trust them with their first six hour shift?" Leah complained, doubting the schedule she helped create.

"They'll live," Sam promised, somehow not annoyed by Leah's antics. "Can you take the schedule to Paul? I'll handle Quil. You just handle Paul," Sam said, handing Leah an index card. Leah shook her head.

"Not Paul. I'll take this to anyone on the face of the Earth but Paul. I'll deliver it to Satan's mailbox before I give it to Paul Lahote," Leah protested loudly.

"Willya stop being dramatic and just do it?" Sam begged. Leah whined.

"I don't even know where Paul lives," Leah lied, trying to get out of it. _Why can't I just bring one to Seth?_

"I can tell that's a lie because I've seen you there before, and I even asked _you_ for directions there once," Sam pointed out, grinning. "If you're gonna lie to me to get out of it, at least do it well. Make it a lie I can't disprove without even trying," he recommended. Before Leah could whine more, he wished her good luck and turned to walk away. There wasn't any way Leah could get out of the situation anymore. She grumbled, turning to head down the dirt road that would lead to the Lahote house. _Stupid Sam and his stupid knowledge banks._

Leah dragged her feet the entire walk to Paul's house. She had seen enough Paul for the entire week from the four minutes she coexisted with him in her kitchen that morning. It wasn't a well guarded secret that very few pack members were fond of Paul, and Leah suddenly felt very bad for whoever got stuck with delivering the patrol schedule on a _regular_ basis. She figured giving him the schedule once was a small price to pay to get out of it near indefinitely afterward, though. As much as she wanted to delay it, Paul's house eventually sprouted into her vision, making her audibly sigh.

"Come on, I'm not _that_ bad, am I?" Paul's voice called out from Leah's right, making her jump. She didn't expect him to be outside so early. _At least he's self aware._

"Do you even own a shirt?" Leah asked, annoyed. "Why is it with werewolf boys and the inability to keep a shirt on outside? Especially so early in the morning?"

"What is it that you're doing here?" Paul asked, dodging her question, wrongly assuming she wasn't truly curious.

"I'm your mailman today," Leah explained, not as uncomfortable as she would have liked to be.

"But you're a girl, so wouldn't that make you a mail _m'am?"_ Paul questioned, smiling like in idiot in such a way that it almost made Leah forget what a gross person he was. Leah was almost surprised by how casual she felt, with her brain already scanning for reasons she should have sympathy for Paul instead of bashing him like the rest of the pack, coming up short. _One good quip doesn't make him tolerable,_ Leah thought, purposefully thinking over the other side of her head. _He's imprinted too,_ it called. The automatic sympathy switch with her. Ignoring both sides as best she could, she handed the index card to her pack brother.

"Have at it," she said, backing up as quickly as she approached him.

"Thank ya kindly," Paul said, reading it over, holding a fist out to Leah as she stood there, staring at him. "Well?" Paul nudged after a few seconds.

"Well what?"

"You gonna leave me hanging?" Paul denoted, shaking his fist. _He wants me to fist bump him? What is this, eighth grade?_ Sighing, Leah gave in and bumped her hand against Paul's. The connection almost made her forget that she was touching who she considered to be one of the worst people on the planet. Almost. Leah took her hand off of his as soon as would be socially acceptable, and left his property without a parting phrase. She did her job; anything past that was optional in her eyes. Making her way home, the trek seemed a lot faster than it did going to Paul's, even though Paul's house was equidistant from Leah's and Sam's. She figured it was because she wasn't purposefully walking slower in an attempt to put anything off anymore.

When Leah got home, she was surprised to see Seth outside so early, attempting to climb the tree on the outskirts of their backyard. He clearly hadn't ever done it before, seeing as he was climbing like an amateur, in Leah's opinion. _No brother of mine is gonna grow up a wimpy tree climber._

"Find the highest branch close to the ground and push as high as it can get you," Leah called out from behind. Seth was startled at first, but soon heeded Leah's advice, looking for the strongest branch closest to the bottom of the tree. He came up short looking for suitable branches.

"It isn't working," Seth whined.

"Have some faith in my advice for once," Leah recommended. "Try that one, right there," she said, pointing. Seth looked downward.

"I don't think that one's strong enough," Seth whined again.

"It is," Leah assured, strangely invested in seeing her brother rise the large plant. "The branch comes out at an acute angle. It'll take a lot to separate that branch, and your weight definitely won't do that. You weight next to nothing," Leah jabbed playfully. Seth rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

"Whatever you say," Seth mumbled, shifting the weight of his body through his left foot onto the branch. It snapped almost instantly, with Seth finding bark to latch onto last second. "You're terrible at climbing trees, Leah," Seth complained.

"It helps to pull from the strongest branch above you," Sam called out from both of them, startling them both. "Your hands have more surface area. It's easier to pull weight up than it is to push weight up. It's especially easy for werewolves. Give it a try - that branch, right there," Sam pointed. Seth turned around briefly enough to spot the sturdy looking branch Sam was talking about. Seth was just barely able to reach it, having to nearly jump for it. Leah was surprised that branch was able to support Seth but not the one she found. Through a bit of fidgeting, Seth was able to maneuver above the branch to sit on top of it without touching the ground.

"Well?" Leah prodded, expecting Seth to deliver a profound poem about how it was like to sit on top of the branch. Seth only shrugged.

"About what I expected," he admit. All three of the Quileute teenagers smiled at his beautifully stale description. Only then did Leah realize that Sam was there for no discernible reason, as far as Leah could tell. He didn't have the patrol index card with him, so he wasn't delivering a schedule. He wasn't stopping over for breakfast like he used to do every morning, because now he was attached at the hip to Emily. Getting nowhere with speculation, Leah had to ask.

"What're you even doing here?" Leah questioned, turning to face her Alpha.

"I'm inviting you for an excursion," Sam explained, having picked strange words.

"What kind of excursion?" Leah asked back, not entirely sure what an excursion was.

"To the Hindu Hut," Sam said casually. "We're fresh outta chocolate and we need to get more. Paul got the last of it during a typical Lahote fit yesterday night."

"I thought I told you to stop calling it the Hindu Hut," Leah berated disapprovingly.

"All of the employees are indeed of the Hindu faith," Sam defended. Leah rolled her eyes, truly annoyed with Sam for the first time in days.

"You can be such an asshole sometimes, the pack included," Leah complained, turning away from him stubbornly.

"You comin' or not, Clearwater?" Sam asked, slightly impatient. Sam was never known for his patience or compassion. Leah thought on his proposal. She wasn't properly in the mood to walk for a while to the corner store in the chilled air of Washington, but she did want to spend time with Sam _without_ Emily, even if she didn't want to admit that particular fact. Leah hadn't exactly eaten breakfast, but she failed to notice. She wasn't hungry anyway. Leah had no better alternative than to watch Seth climb a tree.

"Count me in," Leah accepted. "Are we walking?" _What a stupid question,_ she thought almost immediately after. Sam evidently thought it was equally stupid.

"Well we aren't exactly gonna phase and beg at the back door for scraps," Sam said. Leah didn't even realize she was already walking towards the corner store until about ten seconds had passed. There were certain bonds and strings between Leah and Sam that would never fully be severed, and no matter how much dislike out of spite Leah prepared for him, she couldn't deny that he would always have the ability to make time pass five times faster. Sam was one of the easiest people for Leah to be with, especially when he was free to be himself without Emily toning him down just by being in his field of view. "So, how're things?" Sam asked.

"Moderate," Leah answered. Only her relatives really asked her that question at Thanksgiving dinner. "I'm not dead, so I guess I have that going for me."

"A fine accomplishment for your time," Sam agreed. "At least I haven't made you _totally_ miserable."

"You've never made me miserable," Leah assured, rolling her eyes. "You can put the fishing rod away. You don't need to hear me say it."

"Aw, but I just got this fishing pole yesterday," Sam grinned. "A fine vintage, it was. A real bargain. And I gotta forfeit it already? No fair."

"If you just bought it yesterday then you can return it for a full refund. Most places have a return policy within the week," Leah said, playing into Sam's fake story.

"I'd rather have the fishing pole honestly," Sam replied, cutting off his charade with it. "So, I got a fishing pole, I don't make you miserable, what else? I'm learning so much."

"Don't push your luck, Uley," Leah warned. Sam chuckled quietly. It always amused him whenever Leah tried to make herself sound more threatening by calling him by his last name. It never really succeeded, but Leah was undeterred. "You only get one new piece of information a day. You'll have to come back tomorrow to learn more."

"It's hardly even seven in the morning, though," Sam laughed. "I gotta wait until _tomorrow?"_

"You sure do," Leah insisted. Sam smiled, but didn't reply. Leah was right, after all: he didn't want to push his luck. He tried his best to break the ice Leah had cast between them, and while he made progress, it would take a while to fully break it. Pushing too hard at the ice at the same time could make her freeze it back up twice as fast, and send him back to square one. The rest of the walk passing in strangely comfortable silence. Leah was well used to silence between pack brothers at this stage. She only recently learned that with the right pack brothers at the right times, silence could be comfortable, and even preferred. It was Sam who first taught her the lesson.

The corner store slowly rose into view over the hill. Without a proper business banner or poster in the window, everyone in town was more or less free to come up with their own name for the famed La Push corner store. The pack settled on calling it the Hindu Hut, which all the pack members went by except for Leah, who thought it was too far; even for her. She was almost disappointed in Sam for playing into it. Upon entering the store, the duo head straight for the second aisle, knowing exactly where the chocolate bars were. They bought them so often that they practically restocked it just for the wolf pack. Leah didn't want to think about how shady it must have looked for two large teenagers to make a beeline for one product and head straight to the checkout multiple times a week.

"Remember to buy a modest amount this time," Leah whispered. "I don't wanna feel more awkward than I already do."

"Got it," Sam said, disobeying her and scooping up all four bars that were in stock at the moment. Leah would have face palmed but the noise would have attracted even more unwanted attention, so she had to keep her scorn internal. Leah shyly cowered behind Sam the entire walk to the checkout line, wanting to disassociate herself from what Sam was doing as much as possible. There was no way she could stand behind a massive twenty year old who was buying copious amounts of chocolate before seven in the morning and not look seedy, and she eventually had to give up and accept her fate.

Leah debated what the townsfolk must think of them. On one hand, they've never been known to commit any crime, major or otherwise. There have been no reports of them ever hurting anyone and most of the elders on the reservation vouched for their good behavior. And on the other hand, they were buying four king size chocolate bars at the corner store before the Sun even fully rose.

"Heyo," Sam greeted informally, the cashier not as amused as he was. "Just this," he continued as he put the chocolate on the conveyor belt. Leah nearly winced at how many faux pas Sam was breaking, starting with doing this at all, and following it up with answering the cashier's question before she even got the chance to ask it. The cashier didn't speak as she took one bar and scanned it four times, but Leah knew exactly what she was thinking. _Those are the kids from the local cult that clear out our Hershey's supply every other day._ Leah tried to make as little noise as possible, hoping the cashier wouldn't judge her as firmly if she didn't make a noise.

"That'll be 7 dollars, 20 cents," the cashier replied cautiously. She almost felt intimidated. Sam nodded as if expecting the price, and handed the cashier seven dollar bills and two dimes. Exact change, tax included, down to the cent. Leah felt like whacking her head against the nearest wall and waiting to bleed out. _Way to look casual, Uley,_ Leah thought. _Exact change. Complete moron. As if we don't look shady enough._ The cashier took the money after eyeing Sam carefully. "Would you like -"

"We'll carry it, thank you," Sam said, leaving the cashier behind, having answered another question before she could ask it. Leah was all too eager to follow behind him and leave the corner store as fast as possible. Leah was scolding Sam as soon as the door fully shut.

"I give you very simple instructions," Leah complained. "Don't look suspicious. Buy something else with it. Don't pay in exact change! I must tell you this every day!"

"And I ignore you every day. It's a beautiful thing, really. We perfectly compliment each other with it," Sam said, handing Leah one of the four king size chocolate bars. "This is your ration for the week, Seth's too. Make it count, and make it last."

"It'll probably last for months," Leah assured. "We have the best self control in the pack, especially Seth. Have you even _met_ my brother?"

"Sometimes he likes to pretend that we didn't," Sam mumbled, quietly and glumly. Leah was suddenly returned to the real world, where conflict and drama exists, such as the way Seth avoided Sam. Leah managed to forget all about the problems of the real world for a longer time than she thought possible. She could tell that Sam wanted to talk about Seth and the other problems Leah wanted to avoid, but she didn't let him. If he wanted to talk about it, he would have to say the first word. In the end, he didn't. There was another fork in the road, which La Push was practically known for. Once again, Leah had to go left and Sam had to go right.

"Don't die," Leah recommended. Sam smirked, looking over the three chocolate bars he still had.

"Thanks," he mumbled back, patting her twice on the shoulder before bearing right. Leah continued on, painfully aware of the lack of company. She would have almost preferred Paul to nobody at all. Her house was back in her sights before too long. Leah was all too happy to see it. Peering into the backyard, she noticed that Seth had come down from the tree at some point and was nowhere to be found. It didn't sound like he was home at all. Entering through the back door, Leah burst into the house energetically as if she owned the place.

"I have goodies," Leah announced, waving the chocolate bar around excitedly, even though she wasn't a big fan of chocolate.

"What kind of goodies?" Sue asked, as Leah turned to notice that Emily Young was standing in her kitchen as well. Leah flinched slightly and had to twist her face into the sincerest smile she could manage, which wasn't much. If Emily was mad about Jacob's left eye two days before, Emily didn't show it.

"Just the chocolate," Leah admit. "It's for the wolves, technically."

"Can I borrow some?" Emily asked shyly, fearing rejection for not being a wolf. "I can make it into something _for_ the wolves. I hear a few are getting tired of just eating the pieces."

"You can just take the whole bar," Leah offered, holding her hand out to give the bar to her cousin. Leah normally wouldn't donate candy to Emily, but her spite for Sam thinking she needed it for self control overpowered her spite for Emily just existing. "Seth and I don't need it anyways," she added as a motivator as Emily assumed ownership.

"So I hear. How _is_ Seth, anyway?" Emily asked, smiling warmly.

"He's fine," Leah answered, resuming her distant relationship with Emily now that she transferred the chocolate.

"What kinda fine? Like, good fine? Bad fine?" Emily asked, desperate to get anything more out of her. Sue only spectated quietly.

"He got fined," Leah joked dryly. "Got caught being too friendly again. He's gotta go to jail for a while."

"Hate to see it happen," Emily said, her smile losing warmness as she realized she wasn't welcome in the Clearwater house anymore as long as Leah was there too. She knew she had to leave before someone had to tell her to. "Well, better get this chocolate home before it melts."

"Best of luck on the journey," Leah said, still not directly looking at her cousin but instead an inch to the left to avoid true eye contact. Emily nodded, crossed the kitchen, and left wordlessly, feeling a million eyes on her the entire walk out. Emily always felt awkward near Leah after the imprint. Emily did everything she could to stop things from happening the way she did, but Leah wouldn't forgive her for it, and Emily found ways to blame herself over her closest friend growing up. It was obvious to everyone, Sue included, who watched Emily leave in equal silence.

"That was nice of you to give her that," Sue commented quietly after Emily had left. "Hopefully you two can get on good terms again."

"She can bake it into muffins or something," Leah said, looking for water. "I didn't think we needed it here. Seth and I have role model levels of self control."

"I don't think that's how muffins work," Sue chuckled lightly. "Hershey bars aren't muffin compatible. You need chips, or cocoa butter."

"Emily hardly understands muffins anyway, what difference does it make?"

"Regardless," Sue started, "I'm pretty sure Sam will notice if Emily has your chocolate, and he's gonna scold you for giving it away."

"Good," Leah grinned. "Maybe next time he'll put more faith in us that we can handle a few overgrown wolves."

『••✎••』

The hour was late.

How late, Leah couldn't tell for sure. Normally she would just turn her head and check the time on the glowing digital clock she had in her room, but Leah had chosen to sleep on the couch that night, and the analog clock was too far away to read in the dark, even for a werewolf. Her first instinct told her to look around for sources of noise, and doing so led her to noticing a pack brother cowering by the door shyly, realizing he had probably closed the door too loudly. Leah sighed deeply. _Second night in a row I've been woken up to deal with pack shit. I'm getting too old for this._

"And what might you be doing here so early, Quil?" Leah managed sleepily. "Actually, scratch that. Can you tell me what time it is first?"

"Early," Quil offered bluntly. "It's before midnight. S'all I know for sure."

"You're literally wearing a watch," Leah pointed out, standing up slowly, annoyed that Quil hadn't thought to use it. Quil looked down at his wrist, embarrassed.

"Oh, right," he mumbled sheepishly. "It's a few minutes shy of midnight."

"Great. Now that I know the time, mind telling me what you're doing in my house a few minutes shy of midnight?" Leah asked, crossing her arms, impatiently awaiting what better have been a good excuse on Quil's part. Before Quil could spit out an answer, the wolves were hit with an onslaught of light, courtesy of Sue arriving and turning on the ceiling light. Quil and Leah immediately covered their eyes, almost hissing to the brightness, not having the proper time to adjust to the light before it came all at once. Sue flicked the light off, amused.

"Are we sure you aren't the vampires after all?" Sue quipped.

"So, what is it you're doing here again?" Leah asked, growing more impatient. Before Quil could answer, Seth stumbled into the room loudly.

"What's the situation?" Seth asked, noticing Quil.

"Hush up so that he can tell us already," Leah barked, at her most impatient. Sue smirked. Seth cowered. Quil was a little afraid.

"Well," Quil stuttered nervously, "something happened to Embry." Sensing the anxiety in the room raise tremendously, Quil had to speak an explanation much faster. "I don't know for sure what happened, but Sam doesn't want any pack members to be alone until they figure it out, and I don't have and siblings, let alone any pack brothers, so.. my mom told me to come here and bunk with you guys."

"What's going on with Embry?" Seth asked anxiously. Leah sighed. _He already said he doesn't know, Seth._

"I don't know, bro," Quil offered. "All I know is what Sam said, and he didn't say much," he offered, not wanting Seth to have no information at all. A few seconds passed without any word as the pack members and Sue looked around at each other, hoping one of them knew something more than Quil did. Leah was worried not knowing if her advice to do nothing was what caused Embry's situation.

"Can I help in any way?" Sue asked quietly, always wanting to help.

"I don't know," Quil sighed, disappointed that nobody could do anything. "I think the pack is effectively on house arrest in different locations. Collin and Brady are the only exceptions.. can't exactly sneak out at that age," he continued, desperately trying to lighten the mood by chuckling. It wasn't very effective. Sue got to work on making any kind of snack that would hopefully distract the pack from the situation happening at the Call house while they sat there helplessly.

Twenty-five minutes passed without many words said between the four. There was no official word from anyone, and nobody had any idea what the patrol situation was. Sam was set to patrol with Jared until six in the morning, and yet somehow he was ordering pack members to buddy up, and was involved in a situation at Embry's. _If Sam changed the schedule on a dime, I'm gonna murder him,_ Leah vowed. _I knew running nine hours was a stupid idea._ Everyone was too nervous to speak, except for Quil, who kept trying to crack dumb jokes every five minutes in a constant loop. Sometimes he would just make observations on their surroundings, or spill anecdotes, or share trivia about random things in the room, but none of it could distract the four from what was happening at the Call house.

"This is like a more nerve-racking lockdown drill," Seth eventually commented from his position on the ground. All three werewolves were sitting or laying on the ground, too distracted to try to walk around. Sue was outvoted three to one with turning the lights on, so she had to suffer with the moonlight as her only illumination while the rest got to revel in their werewolf night vision. It felt like a fortnight before someone with information arrived.

"Anyone in here?" Jared called at the back door after knocking twice. The pack members shot up from the ground and crowded around the door, letting their pack brother in and flooding him with too many questions to properly here. "One at a time," he begged.

"What's going on?" Leah pleaded vaguely. Jared knew he would probably have the same answer no matter what the question was.

"Something happened to Embry before patrol," Jared explained.

"I thought _you_ were on patrol. With Sam. Until six," Leah argued.

"That was the plan, but Sam just loves going off schedule," Jared sighed. "He was gonna swap me out with Embry at midnight."

"And then?" Sue asked as soon as his sentence was finished.

"And then something happened to Embry before patrol," Jared said cautiously.

"What kind of something?" Seth prodded.

"It's hard to describe," Jared offered exasperatedly, "but it looked like a seizure almost."

"Is he okay now?"

"I can't be sure," Jared said. "What I do know is that Embry's mom hit Sam and called him irresponsible. I heard that from a mile away. Met Sam outside and he told me the whole story, and it looks like we're gonna be in some big trouble."

"Who? You and Sam?"

"Everyone," Jared said. "The whole pack. Embry's mom said she's taking Embry to the hospital."

"Werewolves can't go to human hospitals!" Leah rushed. "Our anatomy is different. Our secret could be toast."

"Yeah," Jared agreed. "And she said nobody can change her mind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's anything I love more than cliffhangers, it's procrastinating. This here chapter was finished only two days before it was set to go public. For a story that was supposed to be entirely prewritten, I'd say I put off writing this for a big while. And I don't really blame myself, either; this chapter was ludicrously long. It's technically shorter than Intentions, but I feel like a lot more happened. To recap -
> 
> Sam was attacked on the road by an unknown vampire not linked to the Paperclippers, Sam finds out that Alpha commands are more powerful than he thought, Leah gets through her first midnight patrol with Embry's help, Leah helps design the patrol schedule which Sam tosses out the window, Seth climbs a tree, Sam and Leah pick up some chocolate which Leah immediately forfeits to Emily, and something's going on with Embry.
> 
> Oh, and Jacob was nowhere to be found in this chapter. Sorry. He'll be in the next one, I hope.. it was a lot.


	14. Bridges

For all his strengths, Jared was an easily overwhelmed werewolf.

It was often the last thing someone would assume about a person like him, someone who was calm and orderly around everyone that knew him, distantly or not. The word on the reservation was that strength and calmness was very much a Cameron trait. In most situations, Jared could stay calm, strong, and rational very easily. He was the one Sam often turned when he needed a voice of reason, more often than he turned to his _real_ Beta of Jacob. In the hardest situations, the pack often used a Jared-o-meter to test how stressful a situation was based on how much Jared appeared stressed. Despite Jared's natural calmness, he was still easy to overwhelm and overload if too many things were happening at once.

Being flooded with questions counted as one of those situations. With three Clearwaters and an Ateara bombarding him with questions, the best he could do was answer the questions he heard the clearest. That tended to be whoever happened to have the loudest voice.

"Did Miss Call really hit Sam?" Jared heard through the commotion. _Leah's question_ , he figured. He raised a hand to silence the group so he could answer.

"One at a time, please," Jared begged near desperately, turning to Leah. "Yeah, she really hit Sam. Square in the face. I saw it in the pack mind."

"Holy shit," Leah growled. "What a gross, bottom-of-the-barrel human being."

"Language, Leah," Sue scolded. She knew her daughter could be fiery in the right context, but she didn't expect it in that moment, even from her.

"It wasn't a hard hit," Jared mediated. He didn't mean to defend Tiffany Call, but he didn't like seeing people fight and argue. "Even Sam was strangely zen about it."

"I don't care if it was a light _tap_ ," Leah argued. "A hit is a hit. What kind of witch hits someone who was trying to help their son?"

"Regardless," Jared raised his voice along with a hand, hoping to calm the room. "Sam wants you there, Leah. But just you. And me, and Embry, and Embry's mom. Anyone more and he thinks it would look too suspicious," Jared explained. Leah opened her mouth to protest, but Jared was already talking again as soon as he noticed. "I know, I know, it's not a very good plan, but we're doing the best we can. We only had a few minutes to work this out and nobody's had proper time to think about this yet."

"I don't wanna go," Leah complained. "It would look _super_ suspicious to Embry's mom if you and I showed up for no reason."

"Sam's orders are Sam's orders," Jared said, exhausted. _Probably Alpha commanded,_ Leah figured. _Poor Jared._ Upon noticing Leah's lack of movement, Jared tried to coax his pack sister again. "Come on, it'll be fun," he offered, knowing nobody in the right mind would turn down fun, no matter how little the journey contained. Leah sighed, turning to Seth.

"Alright, looks like I'm going on a night trip," Leah said in a quiet tone. "I'll be back soon. Try not to worry yourself unconscious and try to stay with Quil."

"Mhm," Quil nodded, letting Seth know that Quil would stay. Seth whimpered but obliged. "I'll look after your family. Hold down the fort," Quil beamed.

"Hurry back," Seth pleaded. Leah nodded reflexively as a rushing Jared seized her arm and tugged her towards the door.

"I'll be right back," Leah promised, turning away from the trio that would be left behind as she escaped with Jared into the rainy night. Leah was immediately miserable by the weather. The humidity made it feel like she was swimming through the air, and the light rain made it hell for her to even stand in. Leah wondered how Jared could travel through it so easily without even breaking a sweat. "I feel sticky and gross," Leah complained. "This is a bad omen if I've seen it."

"It's just a little rain," Jared rationalized in a quiet voice that wouldn't carry across the reservation in the dead of night. "Water won't kill you. You aren't the Wicked Witch of the West."

"You seem confident in that," Leah quipped.

"I could always spit on you to check," Jared replied, grinning mischievously. Leah saw the grin as almost dangerous.

"I don't like that grin one bit," Leah voiced. "It usually means you're about to say or do something stupid."

"Not true, not true!" Jared vehemently denied, though he was clearly still amused by it. Nobody had ever described anything about Jared as dangerous.

"Trust me, Jared, I know you in ways you don't," Leah insisted. "I've seen you do many stupid things in my life. I sure as hell noticed it."

"Well, that makes one of us."

Jared eventually led Leah to his car, and she was instantly relieved at the sight. The idea of hiking through any more of La Push's terrible weather wasn't doable for her. Feeling like she was going to melt and freeze at the same time while also being covered in room temperature water, Leah was more than happy to jump into Jared's car no matter how bad he may have been at driving it. His car looked like it _worked_ in any case, and that was enough for her. Neither one bothered to put a seatbelt on.

"You sure you know where you're going?" Leah asked, slightly quiet. For a small town, there were at least three hospitals in reasonable driving distance.

"Pretty sure," Jared mumbled absentmindedly. There was only one hospital he knew of that had an emergency room cheap enough for Tiffany Call. Leah wondered if Jared was even aware that he was driving almost twenty miles over the speed limit. If he had to make a sharp turn, they would probably crash. Leah admired Jared's ability to make jokes and appear calm when he was clearly very worried about his pack brother who could be dying in a hospital miles from them. _He probably does it to distract himself,_ Leah figured. His real underlying fears for Embry's safety was revealed in full by the speed he was driving. Nobody else was on the road, and Jared took the opportunity as he saw it. On the mostly silent ride, Leah wondered how Jared was much more tolerable as a human than as a wolf. He was nowhere near as loud and rambunctious as his wolf always was. _Goes to show that we really are different from those animals._

Upon arrival at the hospital parking lot, the Quileute in the driver's seat scanned for Embry's mom's old station wagon. For a moment he was worried that he was in the wrong place, but he eventually found her parked in the dimly lit corner of the parking lot. Jared and Leah both assumed that Sam simply ran there and hoped Tiffany wouldn't notice.

"Would it be unethical to park in the handicapped spot?" Jared asked, thinking out loud.

"Nobody's gonna ticket you," Leah shrugged. "Not this early in the morning."

"Hm," Jared managed, contemplating the morality of it. Ultimately, he parked in the open spot adjacent to the open handicapped one. Jared shot out of the car like a cannon while Leah took the time to appear more calm and oriented. "Looks like Sam and the crew are already there," he commented, a bit distracted. Leah nodded.

"Why is Sam there again?" Leah questioned. "Miss Call _did_ hit him, didn't she? That's probably a sign that she doesn't want to be anywhere near him."

"She could've forget," Jared shrugged. "Older folk forget things all the time."

"I think I would definitely remember hitting a giant overgrown werewolf adult in the face," Leah argued.

"Not all of us are gifted with such memory," Jared shrugged again. Leah found his mix of nonchalance and anxiety both annoying and endearing. The pair approached the hospital's emergency room, which they both simultaneously hoped allowed walk-in visitors. The lights from the inside of the room weren't enough to illuminate the dark of the nighttime parking lot even with the wall that was almost entirely glass. Leah flung the front door opened and held it there, expecting Jared to walk through after her. Instead, he confused her by shyly walking past.

"You missed the door," Leah pointed out. Jared nodded to show that he knew.

"I'm heading through the revolving door," he insisted before entering and pushing through the spinning glass doors. It was twice as far, but it deeply satisfied the child at heart Jared was to use the more exciting, spinning doors to the boring one Leah used. The first thing Leah noticed was Embry sitting in the corner quietly. She couldn't tell if he was even conscious or not. Before she could notice anything else, Sam greeted the duo, distracting her.

"Yello," Sam called in a voice that was somewhere between a yell and a whisper. "Thanks for comin' out. I know it's short notice at a late hour."

"What exactly are they doing here?" Tiffany Call scowled. Her annoyed atmosphere hovered around her constantly and it was enough to make Leah feel unwelcome.

"I have my reasons," Leah lied, having no idea why she was there at all. She would rather have been at home with her brother and mom. Tiffany squinted anyways.

"And, pray tell, what _are_ those reasons, young lady?" Tiffany bit. Leah wanted to hit her. _What a bitch,_ she thought as a substitute for beating up a middle aged woman in the emergency room. _At least they would've have to take her far if I did,_ she mused. Leah knew she couldn't answer Tiffany's question, though, and she quickly looked to Sam to bail her out.

"Leah did most of the pseudo-medicine, so she'll probably need to explain what she did to the doctor," Sam explained, taking Leah's hint. Both Tiffany and Leah thought it wasn't a good enough reason to drag her miles away from home at midnight.

"It's too late for me to be thinking about that stuff," Leah complained. She could hardly remember fifteen minutes ago, she definitely didn't want to remember the things she did to Embry that may or may not have caused the situation to begin with. Sam wasn't in the mood to stomach her complaints.

"Try harder," he said, turning away to face the lady at the front desk instead to show that there would be no arguing on the subject. _Leah isn't going home until we're finished in the hospital_ , Sam decided. _None of us are._ Sam absentmindedly watched as Tiffany Call set down a clipboard in front of the lady at the front desk, who he assumed to be a receptionist. Leah figured the clipboard was full of all sorts of medical mumbo jumbo that was required to fill out before they could do anything. _Embry had a seizure,_ Leah criticized. _They don't need to know his family's history of diabetes and all that irrelevant garbage._

"Do you have a preferred doctor in this hospital?" the receptionist spoke up. Her voice was oddly quiet, but well audible to the werewolves. "I can tell you which are available at this hour."

"Where's Dr. Cullen?" Sam answered for Tiffany, oblivious to how rude he was probably coming off as. "I'm not sure if he's here or not, but he's Embry's preferred doctor."

"No, sir, Dr. Cullen isn't working tonight," she answered. "He's not on call, either. I can give you the next available, though?"

"No," Sam refused firmly. "We're not being seen by any other doctor."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do," the receptionist apologized.

"Can you try his home phone or somethin'?" Sam asked. Leah winced internally. In her eyes, Sam was making a huge scene and advocating to disturb who the receptionist thought was just some doctor. All the wolves in the room knew that he would definitely answer; vampires didn't sleep. They also knew that being taken by any other doctor would expose them to the masses, and quite possibly vampires, too. _We gotta take Dr. Fang,_ the wolves knew. _Sam making a scene is the only way we can make sure of it._

"Try his home phone?" the receptionist repeated, shocked that he would even suggest it. "If you give me a minute I could offer you a list of all the rules that would violate."

"Say it's a personal call, then, not a business call," Sam suggested. "No violation that way." The receptionist sighed, feeling defeated. She didn't want to go along with it. That would make her an accomplice. But at the same time, she couldn't exactly tell him no.

"You better have a good reason," the receptionist forfeited, reaching slowly for the phone and looking up Carlisle Cullen's home phone number in the insurance registry. "A damned good reason," she continued under her breath.

"I think I do," Sam said confidently. The receptionist located the number and slowly dialed it, fearing she would get written up if the Quileute before her was just some con artist or prankster. Finding the young adult just trustworthy enough, she gathered the courage the send the call in.

"I sincerely hope you're right," she said nervously. "It'll be me who gets written up if you don't have the best reason on this side of the equator. Dr. Cullen doesn't like taking night shifts."

"Tell him it's Sam Uley," he replied, cool as a cucumber. "Trust me, he'll make an exception."

The receptionist only nodded and turned her attention to the dialing tone, which faded into periodic ringing that could be heard from both lines, miles and miles apart. Tiffany Call anxiously tapped on the front desk, glancing at Embry every few seconds, having no problem with Sam being aggressive with getting the doctor; it benefit them both and Tiffany didn't have to say a word. Two rings went by. The werewolves glanced at each other, having to pretend they couldn't hear with their enhanced hearing. A third ring was cut off by someone picking up the line.

 _"Hello?"_ Carlisle's voice tapped through. The wolves were slightly amused by Carlisle purposefully having to sound tired, as if he just woke up, knowing full well that he doesn't sleep.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen?" the receptionist called, quiet and shy. The Quileute continued to pretend they weren't eavesdropping, with Jared admiring the wall and Leah admiring the floor tiles. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," the receptionist added, the shyness in her voice growing, knowing that she was doing something wrong.

 _"Not much,"_ Carlisle replied. His voice was prominent enough to remove any doubt that it was him on the line. _"Am I on call tonight? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am."_

"You aren't," the receptionist confirmed, "but I have a patient here that was very adamant about seeing you specifically. They're waiting in the E.R."

 _"Is that so?"_ Carlisle said, the dull, yet growing curiosity growing in his voice. _"Is there a reason they had to see me instead of any other doctors there? Dr. Price, if I may recommend?"_

"I'm not sure," she admit, her shyness reaching a peak. This wasn't right, in her eyes. "The patient was inclined to believe you would make an exception for them."

 _"Oh?"_ Carlisle sounded, the curiosity growing again. _"Which patient might this be?"_

"They don't have any records with you as their patient, curiously," the receptionist answered with a slightly suspicious glance to Tiffany, and then to Sam. The werewolves kept awkwardly shuffling around the room, trying not to react to the conversation they weren't supposed to be able to hear.

_"A new patient? That wanted me specifically? In the emergency room, well after midnight?"_

"As far as I can tell, yes to all three," the receptionist confirmed. "They were yet insistent to see you. They call themselves Sam Uley."

 _"Oh, yes!"_ Carlisle's energy was palpable through the phone. _"I'll definitely make an exception. I'll be there soon."_

"Really?" the receptionist sighed in relief. "Thank you so so much, Dr. Cullen. You're a lifesaver."

 _"Anytime,"_ Carlisle said. _"I'll get there as soon as I can,"_ he promised.

"Thank you," the receptionist replied, hanging up without a parting phrase. She set the phone back on the hanger, looking to Sam with surprised eyes. The werewolf looked back at her warmly. "It must be your lucky night. That wouldn't have worked if you were anyone else."

"I'm a very lucky person," Sam replied, nodding to the receptionist before drifting away from the table. He located Embry with his eyes to make sure his pack brother was still okay. Embry certainly _looked_ okay. His breathing wasn't labored, even if he was still asleep or unconscious. He could sit upright, which was a good sign, all things considered. Nothing he had seemed contagious. That was unfortunately all Sam could say with certainty. Nothing like that had ever happened to a Quileute shapeshifter in the entire tribal history, hidden or unhidden. Tiffany Call suddenly appeared beside Sam.

"Is he okay?"

"Best of my knowledge," Sam said, sitting down next to Leah, who handed him a folded index card he figured she stole from the front desk. Curiously, he unfolded it to reveal a familiar pattern. Sam laughed. "You know traditionally X goes first, right? It's in the official rules of the game."

"Will you just shut up and play, Uley?" Leah said, half annoyed and half amused. Sam had to think about his next move carefully. It had been a while since he had a proper game of waiting room tic-tac-toe, and he had to admit: he was very rusty at it. The move he played back would set up the board for Leah to snag a win. Demanding a rematch, the pair played eight more games of tic-tac-toe on whatever paper they could salvage, with Leah winning once more and the rest tying.

"This game must have been designed with tying in mind," Sam complained. "It happens in the majority of games."

"I think you're just saying that because you're salty about losing all the games that _didn't_ tie," Leah smirked.

"That's just a different way of saying that I lost two out of nine times, which sounds a lot better than the way _you're_ putting it," Sam shot back smugly. Leah rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile. She frequently forgot just how much she liked Sam Uley. Without thinking much about it, Leah folded the paper littered with tic-tac-toe games in half, and Sam snatched the paper from her excitedly.

"I was usin' that," Leah whined.

"Has anyone ever taught you how to make a paper airplane?"

"Who doesn't know how to make a paper airplane?"

"Some people don't," Sam shrugged, folding the paper several more times into a haphazard looking plane. "Back when I was young I used to make these all the time," he recollected as he folded. "Sometimes I would burn the edges with a match and pretend they were crashing." Leah couldn't help but laugh. It was the kind of reckless behavior she had come to expect from Sam.

"Aw, come on with that thing," Jared called, surprising them both as he leaped up and teleported over. "No wonder those things crash, look at that wing job. You're doing it all wrong," Jared insisted, snatching the airplane. He back-folded over many of Sam's folds, completely changing the wing design. "This is how you get the best aerodynamics."

"Will you _please_ just _stop?"_ Tiffany Call almost yelled. "Will _someone besides me_ take this situation seriously?"

All three were put on the spot by the previously silent mother, and none of the three knew how to respond. As Leah tried to prepare a response, she was bailed out by the sickly sweet smell of vampire bursting into the room. Carlisle was dressed, but clearly not in doctor apparel. Sam coughed several times, having been taking off guard by the repugnant smell.

"Thank you so much for coming out," the receptionist called from the desk. "It means a lot."

"Likewise," Sam extended the favor, getting up, instinctively looking to Embry, who hadn't moved.

"Quiet emergency room tonight, eh?" Carlisle commented, noticing that Embry and his company were the only ones waiting. "I can see them in my typical room, unless it's being used at the moment?"

"I don't think it is," the receptionist answered, looking furiously at papers on her desk that seemingly held the answer. "It isn't. Hasn't been used for two hours now. I'm not sure if any nurses are available if you need them?"

"No nurse necessary," Carlisle waved off. "Thank you, Mrs. Pyre. Follow me, friends," he called to the group, who followed him. Sam and Jared could carry Embry all by themselves, and Tiffany had learned to stop questioning the way they did things. If they didn't want to rent a wheelchair or a gurney, she was gonna let them. Leah followed the group as Carlisle led them down the hall and straight into a room with an open door. The hospital was surprisingly quiet as a tomb. "What brings you to this fine hospital tonight?"

"My son had a seizure," Tiffany explained. "I'm worried sick about his health and his _friends_ wouldn't let him come to the hospital."

"No matter," Carlisle brushed off, knowing why they wouldn't let him seek medical care, being unable yet to tell Tiffany those reasons. Knowing it would be very difficult to have a conversation about Embry's symptoms with her in the room, Carlisle had to get rid of Tiffany somehow. "Have you completed all the insurance forms, Mrs. Call?"

"I don't think so," Tiffany replied. Leah glared, annoyed that Tiffany let Carlisle off the hook for using the wrong title whereas she berated Leah for it several days earlier. "I could pay upfront, as much as possible. I just want my son to be okay."

"He will be," Carlisle promised. "Young man, will you please escort Mrs. Call to the front desk?" Carlisle asked, denoting Jared, pretending not to know his name. Jared nodded silently, gently taking Tiffany by the arm and leading her away from the remaining clan. "Alright," Carlisle lowered his voice, "down to business."

"What business?" Embry asked tiredly, just waking up. His first reaction was to flinch hard, and try to put distance between him and the vampire any way he could, through kicking, flailing, and squirming away. Sam had to steady him manually. "Where am I?"

"Hospital," Sam answered quickly. "We got you a doctor. You -"

"You brought me a _vampire!"_

"Keep your voice down, dammit!" Sam ordered, wishing it came out as an Alpha command. "He's a doctor. You had a seizure."

"Could've fooled me," Embry said, rolling his shoulders. "I feel totally fine. It doesn't even bother me anymore." Carlisle eyed him incredulously. "Honestly. I feel fine."

"You're.. sure?" Carlisle managed, speaking through the shock.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Embry assured, growing tired of saying it. "I'd do a cartwheel to prove it if this room was big enough."

"I still think I should check," Carlisle proposed, looking to Sam for permission. Without Tiffany in the room, he moved to the next level of authority over the young Quileute. Sam nodded, having to put all his trust in Carlisle that things wouldn't go wrong. Carlisle didn't even bother putting on gloves or anything that would imply medical professionalism. Embry squirmed uncomfortably throughout the entire checkup, even though the vampiric doctor didn't check anything past his shoulder. Much to his amazement, the wound had completely healed.

"And what exactly is it that our doctor-in-training did?" Carlisle asked.

"Clotted the blood after it happened and brought him tons of Advil every other day," Leah said bluntly. "That's about it."

"Well, this is certainly a medical mystery to me," Carlisle admit, "but then again, this is a special case. Maybe the seizure was a final sign of healing?" Carlisle theorized. None of the wolves knew what to say; they weren't as trained in medicine and Carlisle took the strange interest in werewolves as a species many decades before any of them had even phased. If anything, he should have known the best. They all accepted the theory, although slightly confused. "Regardless, I'm discharging you."

"Sounds good to me," Embry said, getting off the bed as the paper crinkled loudly under him. Carlisle led the pack out of the room and back down the hall without turns, into the waiting room again, having never put on a doctor's coat the entire time. Tiffany Call was still fiddling with papers and money as Jared looked around, desperately bored. Both were surprised to see them back so early.

"Sooner than I expected," Tiffany addressed to Carlisle while looking at Embry, baffled at how well he looked.

"It was," Carlisle agreed, nodding slightly. "Medically, he's a very healthy person. It looks like it was only a minor seizure with no lasting brain damage."

"It's a Christmas miracle," Jared commented. _It's nowhere near Christmas,_ everyone in the room thought. Tiffany slammed her pen down loudly, yet without anger. She had done enough paperwork for a lifetime in the last ten minutes alone, finally having completed it. The ultimate price was very affordable, though waiting would have solved all their problems at no charge at all.

"Alright," Tiffany said tentatively, still not entirely believing what she was seeing. "Looks like we're going home then."

The pack seemed down with the idea. Four of the five Native Americans left the emergency room through the door, save for Jared who insisted on using the revolving door again, with Carlisle following the group out. All of them were in much better spirits than they had entered the hospital with. Leah climbed into Jared's car and was surprised to see Jared assume the passenger seat. The car ride back to her own house felt a lot shorter than the ride to the hospital, which Leah thought was strange, considering Jared's speed.

Sam insisted on driving back, even though the car belonged to Jared. The latter was all too anxious to give up driving abilities, seeing as he was never a gifted driver to begin with. Sam drove with much slower elegance than Jared had, with Leah snagging the entire backseat to herself. None of the three bothered with putting on a seatbelt. Although there wasn't much talking on the ride back, Leah felt strangely comfortable, all things considered, even with Jared in the car with her. She blamed it on the tiredness she still felt.

As soon as she was dropped off on her property, Seth ran off the porch to intercept her, looking as protective and worried as she expected.

"Hitsilax tax -"

"English," Leah ordered. She was too tired to translate back and forth from Quileute. Her brother looked confused.

"Akista'a? Ta chali wa -"

 _"Seth,"_ Leah said, firmer. "English." She watched as Quil hopped off the porch in the corner of her eye and approached the pair.

"Hok'atiisk -!" Seth started to call out when he was silenced with a crushing hug from behind, courtesy of Quil. Leah thanked him for it quietly, wanting to stick strictly to her mother tongue, silently wondering which language _was_ her mother tongue. Seth always had a tendency to ramble in Quileute whenever he was extremely worried or angry, and he sure didn't look angry to Leah. She questioned whether or not Seth even knew he was doing it, based on his last reply; insisting he was speaking in English, while still rambling in Quileute.

"What exactly happened?" Sue asked from the porch. Leah wondered when they decided to wait outside instead of inside.

"Not much," Leah answered calmly, yet quietly, being an early hour. "Embry is fine. Not just from the seizure, but also from his big injury."

"Is that even possible?" Sue asked, looking around at the crowd on her lawn as if their faces withheld the answers. None of them did. "I don't believe it."

"Neither do I," Leah admit, "and I was _there_." Quil had finally let Seth go and pulled Leah to the edge of the property casually. He spoke in a quiet whisper, but even then he knew that it wouldn't help to block the noise against the best hearing in the pack.

"Seth has hardly spoken in English since you left," he told. "I don't think he's that scared about Embry. I think he's more scared of looking stupid and inconsistent."

"Figures," Leah whispered back, eyeing her brother suspiciously. _Leave it to him to speak in Quileute for hours to avoid looking stupid._ With nothing left to say, Quil drifted to the edge of the property and gave a peace sign to everyone who was looking, following by a wolf sign; the universal hand symbol of pack unity. The pack was well aware they stole their wolf sign from the Boy Scouts and their "silent coyote", but they figured it looked enough like a wolf for them to not care what the Boy Scouts had to say. As Quil left the property, Leah turned to Seth, noticing that he was giving the wolf sign back and smiling like a dope.

Not for the first time, Leah wondered just what went on inside the head of the brother she adored so much.

『••✎••』

"Two minutes late," Leah commented, looking at the clock, and then at her pack brother, who looked back, confused.

"It's the same time I always get here," Quil defended. "All three of you are already in the kitchen so I figured I was on time."

"Nope," Leah said. "You usually arrive at 6:18 on the dot. Every day. Without fail."

"Well I'm sorry if you were worried sick for those two minutes," Quil grinned, setting the index card on the table. For once, it wasn't immediately scooped up. Quil turned his attention to Sue, who was holding what looked to him like food out for him. He smiled excitedly. "That for me?"

"It is," Sue nodded. "You always look so tired when you get here. I feel so bad whenever I let you leave without eating."

"It's okay," Quil assured, his eyes still on the sandwich Sue prepared. "Emily gave me a muffin," he scapegoated. Leah grinned wryly, hoping nobody would notice. _Emily didn't come out when I helped make the schedule,_ she thought coyly. _Maybe she's finally taking some hints._

"Come on, Quil, it's about time you get initiated into this family," Seth jested, implying eating a sandwich was all it took to get a Clearwater stamp.

"If you insist," Quil said, taking the breaded ingredients from Sue. "How'd you know these were my weakness, anyway?"

"I've known you since you were born, Quil," Sue answered.

"Fair enough," Quil said as he waved goodbye with his free hand. The trio waved back.

A few minutes of relative silence passed. The Clearwaters were masters of non-awkward silences. Several times had guests questioned whether or not they spoke to each other at _all,_ because even after they finished most or all of their food, they still didn't use their words to communicate, instead opting for white noise and the occasional side comment. The fact that Quil didn't seem to mind was the real proof of his initiation. Only then did Leah remember to examine the patrol schedule that Quil had left.

_3am - 6am / Sam, Jared  
_ _6am - 12pm / Paul, Embry  
_ _12pm - 6pm / Jacob, Leah  
_ _6pm - 9pm / Brady, Collin  
_ _9pm - 12pm / Seth, Quil_

"Greetings," a voice called from the kitchen door, making Leah jump so much she almost ripped the patrol schedule in half. "Hope I didn't startle you _too_ much."

"It's only a heart attack, Jacob, it's nothing major," Leah criticized. "Ever heard of knocking, by the way? It's why the reservation gave us doors. To knock on 'em."

"Wow, I'm learning so much," Jacob said. Turning to him, he appeared glummer than he usually was. Leah silently wondered if he was _still_ sad about Bella. "What was the deal with Embry?"

"He's fine," Leah reminisced. "Completely fine. Of all injuries, seizure, shoulder gash, hopefully his mental problems too, but we haven't gotten there yet."

"Glad to hear it," Jacob said, suddenly less glum. _Or was he sad about Embry?_ Leah questioned. It was hard to tell anymore. "I heard Quil came here last night, too?"

"He did," Seth nodded. "Courtesy of Sam's 'nobody can be alone' rule."

"Who'd _you_ get stuck with, Jake?" Leah asked, remembering Jacob was an only-child, not noticing she called him _Jake_.

"Paul Lahote," Jacob shuddered. Leah and Seth laughed loudly. Sue tried to settle her children while laughing herself, to a lesser degree. "Have you ever spent two hours alone with Paul?"

"Thankfully, no," Leah answered, gleeful she got Quil and not Paul.

"Does patrol count?" Seth asked.

"Let's say it does," Jacob allowed. "Six hours on patrol with Paul trumps two hours from Sam's stupid rule. How'd patrol blow over with _you,_ kid?"

"Not very well," Seth admit shyly. "Paul hardly did any of the work. He went wolfing for two hours and ran three combined miles for the remaining four hours."

"Doesn't surprise me," Jacob said, looking around for food he could steal, coming up short. "Sorry that you probably won't get any justice for it. Paul has been breaking pack code for so long it's practically become expected of him," he expanded. Even though he was the Beta, it was useless if the Alpha gave up on trying to correct Paul's behavior. Jacob turned to Leah. "Wanna come see Embry outside his house for once?"

"I just did," Leah said, confused. "Just this morning."

"Well I haven't," Jacob replied. "Didn't wanna go alone. You know how his mother is."

"Fine, Jacob," Leah accepted. "I'll _protect you_ against his big scary mom," she added, moving towards the door. Jacob seemed thankful for the company, if not for the promised protection. He let her leave the house first so he could spend a few last precious seconds searching for stealable food. Coming up short, he waved a hand in frustration, giving up. Whenever the Black house was low on food, it was more efficient to steal from friends than to waste Billy Black's.

"You looked glum this morning," Leah commented when Jacob caught up to her by her side. "You don't _usually_ look glum."

"Okay, first off," Jacob said, raising a hand. "You gave me hell for using _waxing gibbous_ the other day. Who on earth says 'glum' anymore?"

"Fine, you looked _melancholic,_ " Leah corrected, hoping he would be equally annoyed by her word choice the second time. It worked to perfection.

"Wow, you caught me," Jacob raised his hands in mock defeat. "I looked _glum_ and _melancholic._ "

"And why did the Jacob Ephraim Black appear glum and melancholic this morning?" Leah asked, hoping for a serious answer despite her non-serious tone.

"You just like saying my middle name, admit it," Jacob accused, pushing on her shoulder with his. Leah had to admit, he was onto her. It was then she noticed that it was the second time Jacob dodged her question. She told him that Embry was okay, and he still looked sad. _It can only be one thing now._

"It's Bella, isn't it?" Leah guessed. Jacob tensed slightly but didn't answer. _Bingo,_ Leah thought. "You've been at this way too long. Do you have PTSD or something?"

"Shut it," Jacob said, starting to regret asking her to come. "My business is my business."

"Your business affects us all, y'know," Leah pointed out, slightly sour. "We share thoughts for six hours a day. We all desperately need you to get over Bella. We're all willing to help you at this point because we just can't stand it anymore." Jacob was rendered silent. He refused to even _look_ at Leah for half a minute. The rest of the walk passed in relative silence as Jacob silently forgave her for it.

By the time they got to the Call house, Tiffany was already outside, smoking a cigarette. She let out a loud noise of aggravation to see the pair approaching.

"Haven't I seen enough of you today, _kindly?"_ Tiffany asked. Leah knew she meant it in any way except kindly. Leah smiled back warmly to show her that she was better than that.

"Maybe we've seen enough of each other, but Jacob would like to see Embry."

"Embry is still resting," Tiffany fired back. "And your ex came by, too, gave him some cryptic index card. Why is it that you teenagers are always here?"

"I dunno," Jacob answered. "I just wanted to see Embry. Is that at all possible?"

"No," Tiffany said. "That's final. I'm not in the mood to deal with you all right now." The tone in her voice let Jacob and Leah know her decision was final and there was no changing her mind. Leah growled to herself. The Leah-wolf wanted to tear up Tiffany until she no longer existed. Jacob contained his anger much better than Leah did.

"That's a shame," he said. "We'll just be on our way, then." Jacob turned to leave, pulling Leah to follow him before she had the chance to rain fire on Tiffany Call for existing. Before he left the property entirely, he turned back around to yell something back. "Sorry again for the whole buzz saw thing," he said, knowing he was apologizing for nothing. Leah was grateful there weren't nearby neighbors. Without an immediate response from Tiffany, he nodded and continued off the property.

"Save it," Tiffany yelled back. Jacob didn't bother turning around but stopped in his tracks to show he heard her. "I know it wasn't a buzz saw." Jacob turned around then, examined her for a few seconds, and slowly nodded. Tiffany vanished into her house shortly afterward, snagging the last word. Both werewolves were nervous after hearing it.

"What do you think she meant by that?" Leah asked cautiously.

"I don't know," Jacob admit slowly, "but it can't be anything good."

"Ya think?" Leah rolled her eyes. "How close do you think she is to the secret?"

"Probably not very," Jacob mediated. After a short silence, he spoke again. "I'm goin' to Sam's. I never got the patrol schedule."

"I did," Leah offered. "You can just read off of the Clearwater copy. It isn't _entirely_ tainted with germs."

"Nah, I'd rather get a fresh copy from Sam," he said, heading towards the Uley house, hoping Leah would follow. She did.

"Just saying, this is a vastly over complicated way of going about it," Leah reminded. "I could easily just tell you when you're on."

"Well aware," Jacob nodded, "but there's no adventure that way."

The remaining walk to Sam's was detailed mainly with the sounds of the surrounding wilderness. Jacob insisted on using a "shortcut" he knew through the woods, which took the pair on a detour that would add ten minutes to the trip where skipping the shortcut would have saved them. The argument over Bella had been long forgotten by both parties, with the only remnants being Jacob's realization that he needed to change to get better. _Change myself or change Bella,_ he knew. Jacob knew which side of the spectrum he favored pursuing.

Sam was already outside his house, beating a shirt with a stick. The stalking werewolves were utterly confused by what he was doing. They knew that sometimes their wolves caused them to act eccentric, but never had they witnessed someone beating an article of clothing with a tree stick before. Both were almost too afraid to ask. It was Leah who overcame her fear first.

"What is it you're doing, exactly?" Leah called, cautiously, wondering if Sam had lost his mind yet.

"Trying to clean the nature off it," Sam replied calmly in between hits, not surprised by their presence in the first place. He grew used to pack members popping up everywhere. Sam had finally gone back for the shirt he left on the tree the night of the wedding, and he wasn't surprised to see that it had quite a bit of nature left on it.

"Do you frequently clean your clothes by beating them up?" Jacob asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't say _frequently,_ " Sam answered, seemingly out of breath. Leah was shocked that he appeared to be sweating.

"Why a stick, though?" Leah questioned, almost at a complete loss for words. "If you're trying to clean the nature off of it, isn't beating it with a stick putting the nature back in?" As soon as she finished her question, Sam froze. He suddenly thought he was the dumbest person on the planet. _How couldn't I have seen that coming?_

"Shut up," Sam suggested playfully as he grew red with embarrassment. "What's your business here, anyways?"

"I'm coming for the patrol schedule," Jacob answered, examining the shirt Sam was beating from afar. "Paul never showed up."

"Not even surprised," Sam answered, as if he expected Paul to ditch, setting the stick down. "If I could fire Paul, I would, but unfortunately I can't change his genetics," he offered. "Yet," he padded as he tried to remember the patrol schedule. "As for patrol, I'm pretty sure you're on noon to six, both of you? But there's also a change I'm horribly mistaken."

"Nope, you're right," Leah confirmed. "We're on noon to six."

"You could've spared Jacob a trip if you just used your memory."

"I knew the whole time," Leah admit, "but Jacob wanted an adventure."

"Well I certainly hope you enjoyed your ten minute adventure, guys," Sam said.

"Oh, trust me, we most certainly did," Jacob smirked, looking at Leah, who didn't notice his gaze.

"Noon to six," Sam called as they left the property.

"Noon to six!" Jacob and Leah both parroted as they left earshot.

『••✎••』

_Happy noon._

_Happy noon._

The pair knew this would probably be their last patrol together, and they planned on making it count. Knowing that Embry was okay, the pack would dissolve back into their routine partners, with Leah paired to Seth and Jacob paired to either Embry or Quil. Leah didn't know how Seth held up with Quil the past few patrols, but she was fairly certain about hers. Jacob wasn't as bad as she first thought.

 _Gross,_ Jacob thought, spitting into the ground. _Now you gotta say something mean about me just to level it out. Them's the rules._

 _You're hotheaded and annoying,_ Leah thought back instantly, so quickly that she almost cut off Jacob's sentence.

 _I see you got your answer quickly,_ Jacob grunted.

 _I just picked one,_ Leah replied. Jacob chuckled.

 _Meanwhile, you're much more tolerable than your old partners' horror stories led me to believe,_ Jacob offered. _I almost wish you were less tolerable just to understand them._

 _Gee, thanks,_ Leah thought sarcastically. _That backhanded compliment was so backhanded it could've turned around and been a palmed compliment again._

 _Got me there,_ he allowed. _On with the finale to our patrolling._

The finale to their patrolling went off without a hitch. The pair dominated throughout their slot, managing to keep the vampires off and even hunt a few squirrels while they were at it. To the outside eye, Jacob and Leah worked better together than they did with their _regular_ partners. Not an incident to be spotted. Both wolves were confused by the quiet sadness both of them felt for their last patrol together to come to an end. Only five minutes remained by the time Jacob thought clearly again after many hours of muted conversation between the two.

_Well, it looks like there'll be no exciting incident again._

_Yeah, what a shame,_ Leah agreed. _Boring._

 _I got a surprise for you, though, if you'll allow it,_ Jacob offered, catching Leah's attention.

 _Oh?_ Leah thought. _Better be good._

 _It is,_ Jacob promised. _Meet up with me after phasing and I'll show you, a'ight?_

 _Whatever you say, wolfboy,_ Leah agreed. Anything to keep from going back home was a win in her book.

Phasing and changing came soon after. Their goodbye had been much more bittersweet than either expected, or intended. They both knew it could be the last time for a long time they would hear each other in the pack mind, with just them two alone. It would take them phasing together after the period of patrol ended to get the same effect, and even if they didn't like each other as partners much at first, the change would be at least slightly upsetting to the duo.

Leah followed her senses to get to where Jacob was. Even when they weren't phased, their wolves always seemed to know how to get to each other. It's a mechanic that the wolves figured prevented them from getting lost. Upon spotting her pack brother, she nodded, as if to say, "hey, I found you". Instead, Jacob patted the log he was sitting on twice, wordlessly. Leah sat next to him expectantly.

"Well?" Leah asked, her impatience shining through. Still without words, Jacob took two candy bars out of his pocket. Leah wondered how he kept that out of the pack mind.

"I made sure it didn't have chocolate in it," Jacob smirked. "I figured we both eat enough of that on Sam's orders alone."

"Wow," Leah said, not expecting Jacob to treat her to _anything._ "What a warm show of love and affection."

"Don't push it," Jacob grinned. "I spent like seven quarters on these, so you can be sure I went all out with this party."

"You're so considerate," Leah said sarcastically, taking the left bar out of his hand and unwrapping it as best she could. "Really, though. Candy bars? We were only partners for like, a week. What will the celebration be like the _next_ time a pack member falls on their face and is out of action? What if it's for _two_ weeks?"

"Then I'll bring _four_ bars," Jacob decided. " _Two_ for each of us."

"But _that_ would cost you _fourteen_ quarters," Leah said in between bites, feigning shock. "How would you afford that? That'd be like, you entire annual salary."

"Well, that just goes to show that I only provide the best for my patrol partners, former or otherwise."

"I'm snitching to Quil tomorrow," Leah vowed. "I'm gonna ask him just how many times you took him out for candy bars in the woods."

"More times than Quil can even count," Jacob assured, finishing his bar entirely, shoving the wrapper into his pocket. He was no litterbug, after all.

"So we know it's more than twice," Leah put together, pretending to be deep in thought. Jacob laughed as Leah finished her own, crumbling the wrapper into a small a ball as possible and throwing it into her mouth as Jacob watched in shock. After a few seconds, Leah laughed and spit it back out into her hands, and then put it in her pocket. "You're so gullible."

"It's not everyday you see someone eat a bunch of elastic," Jacob defended, getting up from the log.

"You'd need to hang around some pretty weird people to see someone eat a bunch of elastic everyday."

"Fair," Jacob smiled. He used to find Leah annoying and pushy, and here he was, feeling quite the opposite, questioning himself all the way. "Parting is such sweet sorrow," Jacob said, adopting a foreign accent neither one could place.

"I don't know how that line continues," Leah called out as she started to leave the area, having to raise her voice to ensure she was heard.

"We'll work on it," Jacob promised, calling out just as loudly, leaving the area with a wave. It bothered neither one that there was no formal parting phrase. It had been their custom from the start, and they weren't about to start now. They weren't even going to start _acknowledging_ it. Instead, the two silently knew when it was time to start their separate ways and they accepted it and got on the task with nothing more than an understanding nod or wave. The walk back to the Clearwater home was relatively joyful for Leah, having candy in her stomach and humor in her spirits. She could've gotten stabbed then and there and she wouldn't have been upset.

When she arrived back home, she noticed her brother was in the tree again. Seth was past the stage of climbing, and was now sitting comfortably in it. Leah wondered how long he'd been up there.

"How'd you scale this one?" Leah asked. "My tips or Sam's?"

"Sam's methods were a bit more helpful for this particular tree," Seth admit.

"That particular tree?" Leah asked, already knowing the answer. "You mean the one you're in? With the huge beehive in it?"

"That's the one," Seth confirmed, his expression looking a tad more worried. "I smell caramel," he commented.

"Jacob brought some," Leah filled in flatly. Seth nodded, as if Leah needed his approval for eating candy in the woods. Leah head across the yard without further interrogation from Seth. "Don't get stung by bees," Leah recommended, knowing it was fruitless.

"I won't!" Seth called out as she approached the stairs. "I'm a careful person!"

Leah entered her kitchen, where Sue was waiting by the window, watching Seth like a hawk from the safety of the kitchen.

"He's gonna get stung," Sue inferred dryly.

"For sure."


	15. Immunity

Even though he had been there most every morning for the past few weeks, Quil had always knocked.

Sometimes it was one solid knock, most often it was two. Occasionally he would knock a short song or tune while waiting for someone to answer it. More recently, he had been knocking just to call to attention that he was there, while entering anyway without waiting for a Clearwater to actually let him in. Nobody else came to their back door so early in the morning, so him knocking at all was unnecessary; and the entire family knew it. Alas, the Atearas were masters of politeness and he insisted on using social standards. The only thing stopping him from using the _front_ door was convenience, and the notion that every time he _did_ try to use the front door, Sue would correct him and tell him to go through the back. _"Only salesmen, robbers, and Jehovah's Witnesses use the front door,"_ Sue had explained. _"It's how we tell them apart from our friends and family."_

Today would be different, though. For the first time, Quil entered their kitchen without knocking at all. He held his breath and was both relieved and shocked that nobody corrected him or called him out for it. They all seemed as happy to see him as they always were, with Leah's joy being much more hidden and concealed, as usual. _Guess I really_ _am_ _Clearwater initiated with yesterday's magic sandwich._

"There's the man of the hour," Sue said as Quil stepped into the room. Leah scooped the patrol schedule out of his hand as soon as she was close enough. "I got you a glass of water," Sue continued, gesturing to the industrial sized glass cup filled with room temperature water towards the edge of the counter.

"Aw, you shouldn't have," Quil replied, taking it anyway. Leah set the patrol schedule down on the counter with an unreadable expression. Quil knew what the source of it was: her partner change. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about being back with Seth instead of Jacob. "Good water. But still not quite necessary," Quil commented, just to fill the silence.

"You must be tired after delivering so many patrol schedules so early in the morning," Sue rationalized, picking up the patrol schedule from the counter, reading it curiously.

"It's fine, really," Quil said casually. "I really only deliver to you guys. The midnight patrol folk handle most of the deliveries, along with actually designing it. I get the easy job. The Clearwater personal mailman."

"Half-man, anyway," Leah adjusted slyly.

"Mailwolf doesn't sound right," Quil replied, as if he had already created that word for himself at some point in time.

"Sure it does," Leah defended. "You're a wolf who delivers mail. That makes you a mailwolf by definition, like it or not."

"I'm not phased when I deliver mail," Quil pointed out. "I'm not a mailwolf unless I fill both sides: mail _and_ wolf."

"You should try phasing while delivering mail one of these days," Leah recommended. "That'd be hilarious."

"Wow, this is quite the schedule," Sue interrupted, pretending to know what she was talking about by looking at the patrol schedule, which might as well have been written in a foreign language to her. She adopted a studious look as if analyzing the contents firmly, having no idea what any of it meant for the pack, her children, or herself.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Paul  
_ _6am - 9am / Collin, Brady  
9am - 12pm / Jacob, Embry  
12pm - 6pm / Seth, Leah  
6pm - 12am / Quil, Jared_

"Is it your favorite schedule yet?" Quil asked, playing into Sue's lie. She nodded skeptically, not sure if she was saying something right or wrong.

"Ranks my top ten, definitely," Sue managed, on the verge of laughing. "Among my favorite schedules this past month."

"What's your opinion on Sam moving Collin and Brady to the six-to-nine slot permanently?" Quil asked. Sue paused, trying her best to come up with an answer. She couldn't.

"Looks like you got me cornered there," Sue forfeited, smiling warmly, handing the patrol schedule to Seth instead. Seth scanned it for his name and looked excited and happy immediately after finding it.

"Ha, Sam wrote my name before yours today, Lee," he boasted. Leah was surprised that someone else noticed what she assumed only she had, and even more surprised that her brother was bragging about it. _It's not that important,_ Leah thought, ignoring that she used to celebrate when _her_ name was first.

"Hate to rain on your parade, squirt, but Sam only did that because you were free for that slot before I was. That's why the names switch sometimes," Leah spoiled. "I asked Sam about it when I designed the schedule, so checkmate," she added when it looked like Seth was about to argue and doubt her. He couldn't formulate a rebuttal in time.

"Still first," Seth said quietly, sticking his tongue out briefly. Leah let him have his moment of happiness, secretly hoping her name would be first the next day out of spite.

"What's that on your arm?" Quil asked, pointing at Seth's arm, trying to mask his concern with laughter as he denoted the bee sting on Seth's arm. Before Seth could defend himself, Leah insisted on doing it for him.

"Commander Seth here was the leading general in the Battle of Clearwater Beehive," Leah explained in the straightest face she could manage. "He fought bravely, but he was ultimately a casualty," she went on to explain. Quil gave a quick military salute, correctly deciphering Leah's message to mean that Seth got stung by bees.

"Can I see it?" Quil asked, setting his half-finished glass of water down to hold his hand out, pressuring Seth into showing him. "I won't hurt ya," he encouraged. Seth was cautious at first but eventually complied, letting Quil get a closer look at his bee stings. There was definitely more than one. "It's not bad," Quil decided, brushing his thumb over the irritated area. To Seth's surprise, he didn't even feel it.

"Why doesn't it hurt when you touch it?" Seth asked, amazed.

"Yeah, why?" Sue seconded, suddenly curious. "Seth cried when _I_ touched it."

"I didn't cry," Seth defended quickly, slightly embarrassed, hoping Quil would believe him over his mother.

"Still, though, you're not flinching or whining like you were with me," Sue rephrased.

"Probably has something to do with connection," Quil theorized, patting Seth's wrist before letting it go. "Werewolf stuff."

"Embry cried when I touched _his_ injury," Leah argued. "There was _'connection'_ between us, wasn't there?" Her tone was almost bitter while talking about the one part of werewolf dynamics she didn't quite believe in.

"Maybe it's because his was deeper than the skin?" Quil wildly guessed. Leah shrugged it off, no longer interested. Quil's attention returned to the jumbo sized glass of water Sue got for him. _There's no way I can finish that,_ he knew, hoping that the Clearwaters wouldn't be mad at him if he didn't finish it. "I'll donate the rest of this water to the pine tree," he declared. "Tree's getting pretty big, in any case. Almost big enough to be planted."

"Please," Sue agreed wholeheartedly, dumping Quil's water into the pot. "If we keep it in here any longer, people might assume it's Christmas every time they walk in."

"It's never too early," Leah argued. "Deck the halls, 'tis the season."

"Can we please plant it soon, it not now?" Sue implored, ignoring her daughter's quips.

"Planted trees are a big responsibility," Leah whined, trying to think of an excuse. "It just needs a bigger pot."

"I could probably find one," Quil chimed in before Sue could answer. Seth remained quiet, listening. "There may be one in my shed somewhere."

"Why would you have flower pots lying around in your shed for any reason?" Leah asked critically.

"My father used to be really big on gardening," Quil explained, strangely cheerful. "Until.." he trailed off, his cheerfulness fading in the span of a single word. He shook his head. "Anyway, if you wanna come help look for a pot? You know this plant better than I do," Quil laughed. Leah rechecked the patrol schedule where Seth had set it down. _Noon to six,_ Leah confirmed. _Tons of time._

"Ah, what the hell," Leah said, accepting his invite. Quil led her out the door wordlessly, without any goodbyes to her family. They figured if she would be right back, there was no need for formalities. "Shouldn't we bring the tree to know what size pot we need?"

"Trust me, I'll know," Quil assured, oddly focused on the route to his home. "We'll probably need at least seven inches wide. Evergreen roots grow messy."

"Can we still keep it inside?" Leah asked, not bothering to question how Quil knew what shape Evergreen tree roots grew in. Quil shook his head again.

"It'll be harder for it to grow on the inside," Quil predicted. "The angle of the sun won't be good with it so tall. Moving it outside will be your best bet."

"What do we do if it rains?" Leah asked, not sure on keeping it outside. She was worried about it blowing away in a storm, never to be seen again.

"Don't water it that day," Quil advised bluntly. "How long have you had that thing, anyways?"

"However long ago Arbor Day was two years ago," Leah replied, trying to keep her voice steady as she tried not to be reminded of Sam.

"Hmm," Quil sounded, doing some quick calculations in his head. "That'd be two years, three months, and maybe three weeks?"

"How on God's green Earth could you possibly know that?"

"Arbor Day is the last Friday in April," Quil laughed, amused by Leah's forceful doubt. "That's the day Nebraskans chose, anyways. Everywhere has a different Arbor Day date, but since Nebraska is pretty much the hub of the holiday, they get to choose everything when it comes down to it. They planted almost a million trees on the first Arbor Day in that state alone," Quil explained, strangely excited. Leah was only half paying attention, and was still blown away by how much useless knowledge Quil filled his brain with.

"You really _do_ know everything," Leah dryly commented. "No wonder you're trying out for Jeopardy."

"I don't know _everything_ ," Quil argued, though still very flattered by the compliment. Leah shook her head.

"Anyone who knows the amount of trees planted on the first Arbor Day knows everything," Leah figured.

"Guess we'll find out in a few weeks," Quil said cryptically, just cryptically enough to catch Leah's attention.

"Will we?"

"I was cleared to take the oddball Jeopardy test in Seattle in a few weeks, so then we'll see if I really know everything," Quil explained casually. Leah was surprised that Quil made it. She knew that he was a trivia genius, but she never would have expected him to be cleared for a test the day Seth told her. The Ateara house appeared through the forested horizon much quicker than Leah expected. She had never been to the house before and was surprised by how short the walk was. _He really lives right over here?_

"We gonna enter through the garage?" Leah asked as Quil pushed open the ancient garage door, which answered her question.

"The reason I ask how old the tree is is to see what kinda pot we'll need," Quil explained. "We'll need a big pot for a two-year-old fern."

"Wow, thanks for that knowledge," Leah said sarcastically. _For someone who knows everything, he sure says some obvious stuff sometimes._

"It's a pretty unhealthy tree as is, I dare say," Quil went on, ignoring Leah's jab. "It only gets sunlight sometimes, when the sun is at a certain angle. Look around for plant pots, take anything you think you'll need. We don't really need any of this stuff anymore and my mom can't get any money out of it with garage sales."

Leah rummaged around Quil's garage as if it was her own. She wasn't shy about flipping over boxes, prying into dark corners and moving almost everything around without consulting Quil first. If she were anywhere else, she may have felt bad about digging around so aggressively, but she figured that the Atearas wouldn't notice or care; most of the stuff in the garage was Quil's father's anyway, and he wasn't exactly around to complain about it anymore. After a few minutes, Leah held up a plastic storage container.

"Will this work?" Leah asked. "I can put dirt and a tree in this thing."

"You could," Quil agreed. "I don't think the plastic would be good for it if the roots spread, though."

"Do you have any better alternatives?" Leah asked, suddenly losing her patience. Quil held up a pot.

"This one'll be good for eight months or so," Quil said flatly. "And it will be safe for the roots as well."

"You're the tree expert," Leah resigned, already on her way towards the garage's exit. Quil rolled his eyes and joined beside her, carrying the pot with both hands. The walk back to the Clearwater house was as short as Leah expected it to be. The trip was filled with comfortable silence. Normally, Leah would have found it uncomfortable or awkward to walk besides someone for ten minutes without a word being said in either direction, but with Quil it was different; it was easy as the walking itself. Leah couldn't quite tell for sure why pack mechanics implemented this seemingly minuscule detail into werewolf psychology. She wished she could change it.

Seth was outside stacking rocks by the time they returned. Leah sighed. _Sometimes you're a difficult person to love, Seth,_ she thought, wondering why her brother was stacking rocks outside her house. Quil seemed more enthusiastic about it than she did, silently impressed with Seth's small pebble stack. Leah was less impressed, grateful that it was early and that they were in the backyard where he was less likely to be seen. As Leah and Quil passed him to head into the kitchen, Seth got up and followed the two wordlessly. Quil fiddled with the pot to himself, bored.

"We return," Quil announced excitedly, setting the flower pot down in front of Sue, who already had the tree and its old pot on the table, ready to be transferred. Sue wasted no time in gently picking the plant out of its pot, separating the tree from its hardened clay house for the first time in years. Knowing her werewolf children would grip it too tightly without noticing it, Sue insisted on doing it herself while Leah, Seth, and Quil watched from the sidelines.

"Can we keep the soil?" Leah asked. "It still looks pretty good."

"Until we can get new soil, surely," Quil advised, dumping the soil all over the newly transferred pine tree. Most of it landed on the pines and the stem without making it to the bottom. Sue made a mental note to fix the soil later. _Werewolves aren't exactly known for being gentle with nature,_ Sue reminded herself. _They're stronger than they realize._ The four looked at the tree, covered in soil in a much bigger pot, and three out of the four thought it looked just fine. Sue knew it would need some work later, but would have to play along for now.

"Perfect," Seth complimented. Quil nodded.

"I'll set this on the porch," Quil said, taking the pot out of the kitchen, allowing the tree to see the light of day for the first time in months. He set it on the porch railing, putting his trust in the fern that it would survive the elements after months of losing resistance to them. Quil left the property and went on his way without a goodbye.

He considered himself close enough to the family that it would go unspoken.

『••✎••』

_I missed hearing your voice in my head._

_Aw, you flatter me,_ Seth thought _._ _I missed ya too, sis. There's only so much Quil I can handle._

 _Can't say I've ever had much patrol with Quil,_ Leah recalled. She only had one patrol with the Ateara, and it ended with him crying to Sam about how Leah antagonized him the entire time. Thinking back on it, Leah felt terrible. Sam promised Quil that they would never share a patrol again, and Sam was a man of his word. _I remember it being alright, though._

 _Quil had a different idea, heh,_ Seth laughed awkwardly. _Though either one is equally accurate, I'm sure._

 _Stop the madness, squirt, we both know I was terrible,_ Leah admit. _To Quil, to you, to everyone I've ever patrolled with._

 _Except Jacob,_ Seth pointed out. Leah stopped her thoughts dead. He was right, she noticed just then. Jacob hadn't complained much at all.

 _Hello hello,_ a third voice chimed. Leah felt it enter but it spoke before she could question it. Checking their eyes, she could see the wolf wasn't moving, and was instead laying on the forest floor, casually looking around and pawing at weeds. Leah rolled her eyes.

 _What on Earth are you doing here, Sam?_ Leah asked, annoyed. _This isn't midnight patrol, thankfully._

 _No, it isn't,_ Sam agreed. He almost sounded tired. _I'm just checking to make sure everyone got the message. Partner change and all that. I can sense you both phased, so I can tell you both did._

_Hallelujah._

_Your wolf is awfully loud by the way, Leah,_ Sam complained, pushing his left ear to the ground in an attempt to block out the noise.

 _And I assume you're implying that's my fault, right?_ Leah thought angrily before Sam could even think. She was definitely not in the mood to see him.

 _I am, actually,_ Sam argued. Seeing his pack members argue was enough to get him mad enough to rather argue back or stop it entirely. Sam was in a poor mood already, and Leah's natural fiery nature didn't exactly mix well. _You did give your chocolate to Emily, after all. I call that your fault._

 _We didn't need it. Emily did. Try me, Uley. You wanna argue? Let's argue._ Leah banged her paw on a nearby tree, stopping in her tracks. Sam growled, exhausted.

 _ **Keep running. Stop arguing.**_ _I'm not dealing with this today,_ Sam commanded. Leah grunted and resumed her path directly after. The Leah-wolf knew that when Sam used Alpha commands, he wasn't messing around about the subject matter. _I don't want an argument. That's the last thing I need right now,_ Sam managed. Seth cowered in the background, and the realization that Seth was genuinely afraid of what Sam was going to do brought Sam down several levels. _I didn't mean it like that,_ he continued, quieter. Remembering she was still bound by an Alpha command, he braced himself for what he was sure was going to be a storm of arguing. **_Release._**

 _You can be a huge asshole sometimes, you know that?_ Leah spat as soon as she could. Sam rolled his eyes, somehow expecting worse.

 _Well aware,_ he assured, the tiredness creeping back into his tone. _It's one of the things you liked about me in the first place, remember?_

 _This is different,_ Leah argued, halting her tracks again. _This is you abusing your stupid repeating thoughts because you don't like having your pack members point out when you're wrong._

 _I have a pack to control, Leah,_ Sam reminded, stifling his anger again. Seth whined. _Sometimes the pack likes to do their own thing, even when it puts the tribe at risk. I can't have that, so yes, I use Alpha commands to my advantage. And I don't feel bad about it. I'm in charge of this pack, and that includes you,_ Sam voiced. Sensing Leah was about to argue again, he cut her off. _I'm not looking to have an argument about ethics and morals. I'm just saying that next time I give you a chocolate bar for self control, keep it. It's yours._

 _Seth and I have the best self control in the pack,_ Leah thought. _You might as well have just given all four bars to Paul._

 _Your wolf is still louder than a hurricane, Lee,_ Sam thought, hoping to dispel the anger of the argument. _When was the last time you were wolfing?_

 _You and I both know I don't do that,_ Leah thought, annoyed. _That animal doesn't need any more time than it already has._

 _What about you, Seth?_ Sam asked. Seth shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to be put on the spot after the spar between Sam and his sister.

 _Maybe a week ago?_ Seth offered. He wasn't truly sure, but he didn't want to give him no answer at all; that could get him lynched.

_See, Leah? Even your brother does it._

_Seth and his wolf get along like two cherries on a stem,_ Leah argued. _It's not fair to use him against me like that. He would probably go wolfing even if it_ didn't _constantly pound at his head to._

 _It's highly recommended to do it now to make sure it won't be intrusive later,_ Sam explained for the hundredth time. _I feel like we've proven this many times to you._

_You could publish it in a scientific journal for all I care. I'm not some sort of wild animal who needs to be let out, Sam._

_All due respect, part of you is,_ Sam thought, putting an end to the conversation. _Just think on it._

_Whatever._

All was silent in the pack mind afterwards. Leah continued her patrol route, annoyed, while Seth continued his, burning up in discomfort. Sam stayed on the ground, biting the heads of dandelions trying to lower his blood pressure. For several minutes, the only noises were the sounds of paws hitting the ground harshly as the two mobilized wolves made circuits around La Push's perimeter. Both Leah and Sam eventually felt bad about their petty stand off, and it was Sam who apologized first.

 _Sorry,_ was his very sweet and simple apology. He phased out immediately after, leaving the two siblings behind.

 _Sorry,_ Leah whispered back, not quite sure who it was directed towards; the Alpha she quarreled with or the brother she made witness it.

 _It's fine,_ Seth thought quietly. _Everybody fights with Sam sooner or later._ Leah nodded, unsure of what to say. _Besides, my wolf and I aren't always 'two cherries on a stem'._

 _Of course you are,_ Leah asserted. _You two are practically all over each other._

 _Is it even correct to refer to.. both of us as if we're.. two separate entities?_ Seth asked.

 _I'm pretty sure,_ Leah replied confidently. She would say anything to disassociate herself with the Leah-wolf.

 _If that's true, then Sam is right in saying that part of you is a wild animal,_ Seth argued. _You can't go forever without wolfing, Lee._

For that, Leah had no rebuttal.

『••✎••』

Leah had company on the walk home for the first time in days, and it was strange, though comfortable.

It was similar to the walk home with Quil earlier in the day. The silence was comfortable even though she would have preferred speaking if it was anyone but a pack brother by her side. The sound of Seth crushing sticks as he walked was a welcome sound after so long. Leah felt oddly uncomfortable to be in her human form, however. Her wolf practically clawing at her to listen to what Sam and Seth said, and Leah found herself regretting giving her chocolate away. She resorted to scratching at her arm until her wolf cowered away.

Seth pat the pine tree on his way into the house, while Leah simply looked at it and nodded in approval, for no one to see. Both children were surprised by the smell of food when they entered their house. _Mom doesn't usually do anything like this,_ Leah noted. Looking around, it looked to her like all her mother really did was boil a pot of noodles, which was alright by her. After a six hour shift, anything at all looked appetizing.

"What do you call this, exactly?" Leah asked. Sue shrugged.

"Dinner," she flatly replied. "The pack always seems so busy with itself. Let's have dinner as a family for once."

"Sounds good to me," Seth said, looking to Leah, as if for approval. Leah deliberately shrugged, hoping to tell her brother that he didn't need to live by her approval on everything. Leah sat down at the table shortly after, in front of what looked like a typical plate of Clearwater spaghetti; the affectionate name given to spaghetti drenched in butter the way Sue did it, coined by Sam. Leah couldn't even remember the last time she sat down at the table. It was a strange idea to Leah that she sees the kitchen table everyday, but she only actually sits down at it once a week, sometimes less.

"This is nice," Sue commented. "I wish we could do this more often."

"We probably can soon," Leah said in between bites. "Sam said the period of patrol may be ending soon."

"Why is it that the council doesn't get a say in periods of patrol?" Sue asked critically.

"Sam runs the pack, the council runs the tribe," Seth explained, quoting Jared. "That's just how it is, I guess."

"You think he'll listen to me if I say something to him?" Sue asked. Leah and Seth thought on it.

"You're like a second mom to him," Leah considered. "Or you _were,_ anyways. He'll probably listen to you more than he'll listen to Billy Black or Old Quil."

"Maybe I'll just have to have a word with him then," Sue smirked. "I know him pretty well, after all. I watched him grow up."

A distant howl cut off the conversation. Leah wanted to bang her head on the table, and Seth wasn't far off from sharing her feelings.

"Can't we go one day without a pack emergency?" Leah asked rhetorically, getting up, annoyed. Seth rose, too, filled with nervous excitement. Sue set her fork down, equally annoyed that her family dinner got ruined. She couldn't object, knowing a pack emergency trumped it, but she couldn't help but feel ticked off by it.

"You guys got spare clothes lying around the forest somewhere?"

"Alpha Tree," Leah nodded.

"Cairo Tree," Seth nodded.

"Why is it you stopped tying clothes to your legs, anyway?" Sue asked curiously.

"Some other time, come on, Seth," Leah rushed, practically dragging her brother out the door as they phased almost on the spot. The pack mind was already crowded and Leah got to work with trying to identify who was there. Besides herself and Seth, she knew that Quil and Jared would be there simply because she read the patrol schedule. The pack members were clearly in a lot of distress.

 _How many does it sound like?_ a deep voice asked. Sam, Leah figured. _Correct. Leah and Seth makes five total, and by the way, Leah, Seth: Jared smells vampires._

 _It sounds like three or four Cold Ones,_ Jared thought frantically. _I could be wrong, though. I've never been good at this._

 _There's three,_ Seth supplied definitively.

 _How could you possibly hear from so far away?_ Jared asked incredulously.

 _You seem to be doubting my abilities,_ Seth replied slyly. It was common knowledge that Seth indisputably had the best hearing in the pack.

 _Vampires?_ Paul asked, having just phased in. Five different voices told him that he was correct in his assumption. Collin and Brady joined in next, completely silent. Leah briefly wondered why they always seemed to phase in together. Embry was the next to phase into the pack mind, and as soon as he did, he tripped over a prominent tree root, falling over before springing up as if it never happened.

 _I'm good!_ Embry declared. Jacob phased in immediately after, figuring Embry did something stupid, vowing to laugh at him later. _Vampires?_

 _Vampires,_ Jared confirmed. _I'm coming up on 'em now._

 _Headcount,_ Sam declared. _Me, Embry who tripped, Jacob, Leah, Seth, Quil, Collin, Brady, Paul, Jared.. is that ten?_

 _That's ten,_ Quil confirmed. _Pack is at full strength._

 _Alright,_ Sam allowed. _Talk to me. How's it looking?_

 _It's certainly not going_ well _if we sense a trio of vampires,_ Jared quipped. _Found 'em! They're over here! Follow me!_ Jared thought frantically, his voice rushed. _They're just.. standin' there. They don't even look afraid,_ Jared noticed. _Two females, one male._ The pack closed in on the group as quickly as they approached them. Sam, Jared, Quil, and Paul were already in the fielded area on the edge of the forest by the time Leah and Seth arrived. As soon as they could steady their vision, the rest of the pack burst through the bushes and trees behind them.

 ** _Form a circle,_** Sam ordered, and the pack secured a circle around them. Escape would be impossible without a fight, or a squabble at the very least. Strangely, though, the trio of vampires didn't poise for a fight; instead, they stood rather calmly. The vampire they assumed to be the leader stood in front of the other two as she scanned the pack. None of the three looked scared, nor showed intentions to fight the pack. The leader raised a hand reassuringly.

"We're not here for a fight," the leader assured. She turned to face Jacob, still holding her hand up. Jacob growled, looking around in angry confusion. The leader soon adopted his expression of confusion. "Which one of you is in charge, exactly?"

Sam stepped forward. The leader was surprised that the largest wolf didn't lead the pack.

"Alright, Black Wolf," the leader smiled. It was an evil type of smile that screamed _ulterior motives_. "We're not here to fight you. We just want directions. You have my word."

 _How much is your word worth, exactly?_ Sam asked, knowing she couldn't hear them. He instead grunted once to convey that they could understand them.

"I assure you, we only want directions," the leader assured, her somewhat-wicked smile growing. She still had yet to put her hand down. Much of the pack chuckled at the idea of giving a vampire directions. None of them would help the leader even if they _did_ know how to get to wherever the leader wanted to go.

"Tell the black one to roll over like the dog he is," the male behind the leader snickered in a side comment. Sam growled at the idea. He was no stranger to being degraded to dog, hound, and mongrel, but it felt different when the male said it. The leader didn't discipline the male, instead she raised her hand to Sam again.

"We're not looking for a fight," she assured again. "Just for friends."

Sam didn't even notice himself stop growing. Slightly fixated on the hand the leader refused to move, Sam found himself calming down, which spread to the pack. As the Alpha, their mindset was the most important, and any wolf was subject to adopt it at a moment's notice. Neither Sam nor the pack questioned the strange sense of calmness that spread through them like the plague. The leader smirked after hearing their collective growls quiet.

"Now, if you could kindly point me in the direction of the Olympic coven base? The home of Carlisle Cullen?"

Sam almost pointed to the house through the forest, but stopped himself last second. He was strangely trusting of the leader, and he had to put quite a bit of effort into stopping the Sam-wolf from raising its paw. He was on the alert, searching the environment for any threats. The pack didn't quite know how to react to the situation. Sam still couldn't quite look away from the leader's hand for longer than a few seconds at a time.

"We're just looking for friends," the leader reassured for what felt like the eighth time. "Wolves can work as friends."

"These wolves probably killed every scout we sent here," the female complained. "They aren't friends. They're killers."

"They also helped clear an army of newborns," the leader rebutted. "No coven has ever done that before, and these wolves helped them do it, I'm willing to bet. They're useful allies," the leader promised, finally bringing her hand down, the wickedness reentering her grin. "And easy prey."

Sam questioned the cryptic words of the vampire before him at first before setting aside the logical voice in his head, opting to hear the leader out. The pack felt their influence over the pack mind steadily decreasing as the Sam-wolf pushed for dominance of it using its natural-born Alpha influence. Only Jacob could've overpowered it, though it would have involved taking Alpha from Sam, which he didn't want to do. The leader went on, satisfied with the wolves' reactions.

"We're looking for friends and allies who will help us fight the Volturi," the leader explained, taking a familiar looking paperclip out of her pocket. "Surely you've heard of the Volturi?" was the next question. Sam nodded slowly, glancing back to the leader's hand every so often, seemingly to check if it moved. "This is our coven's symbol, maybe you've seen it?" the leader continued, slowly approaching Sam to show him the symbol up close.

 _This isn't right,_ something distant in the pack mind sounded. _That's a vampire. It isn't a Cullen. Don't let them get close to you,_ the pack mind advised quietly. Sam didn't listen. Instead, albeit slowly. The leader came within a few feet of Sam, holding up the paperclip so that he could see it.

"It's an old Volturi crest," the leader explained, "but with a subtle line through it. It's to show that we're against the Volturi, and not with them," she went on. "You see, about 236 years ago, the Volturi deeply wronged my family, my coven, and me. I've been building up strong vampires to help me fight them when the time is right. Strong.. werewolves would help, too, though," the leader smiled. "Together, we can wipe the Volturi from the map."

The pack was stationary in confusion. Following his lupine instincts, Sam crept forward slowly, half wanting to slay the leader then and there and half wanting to join its cause. He sniffed at the paperclip to prove it's authenticity, which he verified. The leader was absolutely still, yet somehow knew that he wouldn't harm her. The pack could see through their Alpha's eyes the symbol's meaning: the old crest and the line through it. The male vampire laughed.

"He's practically eating out of your hand," he chuckled, somewhat darkly. The leader nodded.

"Wolves will be wolves, I guess," the leader assured. "Black Wolf's pack will be very helpful, I'm sure."

Sam was bizarrely ready to dedicate himself and his pack to the leader's cause, knowing little more than they were fighting the Volturi. _We don't have a treaty with the Volturi. We can kill all the Volturies we want,_ Sam thought. The pack gave their quiet words of approval as well, all of which were in monotonous or otherwise dead-sounding tones. It was Sam's first hint. _Quil? You don't usually sound this unenthusiastic,_ Sam thought dimly. He blinked a few times, taking a cautious step away from the leader, who pat him on the head like one would a dog. _Something isn't right._

"They can't be members," the female said to the leader quietly, hoping the wolves wouldn't hear.

"Of course not," the leader nodded. "They're just soldiers. Pets. Property, even," she elaborated. The pack mind stirred uneasily.

Memories suddenly whirled across the pack mind, courtesy of Sam. He remembered the night they almost caught Victoria, how they were close enough to breathe on her as she ran. He remembered how the Cullens interrupted them and snatched away their shot at killing her, and he remembered how angry it made him. The pack slowly filled in the rest: they _should_ have been mad at the Cullens, they all knew that, and yet they weren't. When they left the general area, they felt annoyed again. Sam's logical voice told him that these memories were significant, but he couldn't quite tell why.

 _The war general,_ a quiet voice in the pack mind reminded, and the pack made the same connection at once.

 _Pathokinesis. Hypnosis. They're one in the same to her,_ Sam put together. _That's her power._

"Now, now," the leader assured, raising her hand again. "We still have more to talk about. Sit down so we can negotiate?" the leader asked. It was phrased as a question but delivered as a command. Sam's connection roused the pack mind slightly, but not by enough. Sam sat down a few yards in front of the leader, followed by the rest of the pack. The male vampire simpered again.

"They really _are_ dogs," he jeered.

"Nothing wrong with that," the leader shrugged. "Who doesn't love dogs?"

 _We aren't dogs,_ Sam growled, working on looking away from the leader's hand for longing periods of time. Noticing this, the leader knew her power was dwindling and she had to negotiate fast in order to preserve her shot at gaining the wolves.

"The best thing about dogs, though, is their loyalty, and obedience, which I can definitely help your pack with in our fight against the Volturi," the leader smiled nervously. Sam blinked.

 _If she was a little more subtle with it, she probably would've gotten away with it,_ Sam thought coyly, breaking eye contact with the leader. The leader seemed anxious as soon as he did it, and to keep from falling into the same trap, Sam choose a pack brother to focus on, which happened to be Paul, noticing he was close to the male. Overcoming the confusing attraction he felt towards the leader, Sam knew he had to act to save the tribe. _**Paul, take out the male.**_

Paul obliged immediately, jumping on the male from behind and tearing the head clean off. The cry of pain the vampire let out caused the leader to shift her focus to her colleague, and she let out a shriek of horror. While the leader was turned away, it was easier for Sam to look past the remaining scraps of confusion, and the logical reactions grew abundantly clear. He turned his attention a few yards in the opposite direction. **_Jared, Jacob, kill the last one._**

There was almost no fight as the female died as well. Jared was hardly needed as the giant, overpowering Jacob crushed the female easily and tore it into several pieces. The leader shrieked a few more times, stunned and disarmed that her nomadic buddies were offed in the span of a few seconds after decades without problem. The pack mind slowly flared to life, with most of the wolves being enraged at the tactics the coven used to take advantage of them. Sam had to physically hold some of his pack members back from attacking the leader from all angles. Seth and Quil pushed the panicked leader to the ground and Sam pinned her there with his large paws. Still hyperventilating, the leader apologized a mile a minute.

"It was all them," she choked out. "All of it. They hated werewolves and they thought you were just dogs," she managed. "I would have treated you better. Like friends. Like family. I just want revenge against the Volturi. That's still possible if you just help me.."

 _Shut up,_ Sam ordered, knowing the leader couldn't hear him, looking between her eyes instead of at either one. _You came after my pack. You wanted to enlist us into some vampire war that we want no part of. Your friends treated us like shit, and you did, too,_ Sam reminded to nobody but the pack mind. _We're not dogs, we're wolves,_ Sam growled. _And we're not wolves you can just tame and be done with it. You tried to hurt my pack. And I can't forgive that._

Sam's growls grew louder than anyone thought possible. The pack slowly backed away from Sam as the Sam-wolf took majority. Once Sam recognized his pack as being far enough to go unhurt, he tore the throat out of the leader himself, backing up and watching the intruder choke and die.

The leader wouldn't be hurting them anymore.


	16. Voyage

The pack had nearly lost track of time.

Leah, Seth, and Jacob wandered around the meadow in a silent competition with each other trying to see who could find and eat the most onion grass without coughing any of it back up. Leah and Jacob were faltering, while Seth was practically a natural-born champion at it. Jared watched the three with hawk eyes to make sure none of them broke any of the arbitrary rules they set. Collin and Brady tried to see who could dig the deepest hole in the topsoil, while Embry watched the pair curiously. Quil made small circuits through and around his pack members, checking them for ticks, much to their irritation. Paul went wolfing but kept in the general area, quickly growing tired of waiting for their Alpha to come to his senses within the first ten seconds.

The pack must have been waiting for close to fifteen minutes before the human side of Sam was just readable enough to lead on. All but Paul noticed.

 _Who's gonna check on him?_ Jacob asked cautiously, stepping up as Beta. Everyone knew that full wolves couldn't read the pack mind as well as partial wolves.

 _Not it,_ a chorus of thoughts rippled through, all of them slowly stopping their activities. Collin and Brady filled in their holes, and Jacob spit out his grass, wincing.

 _You didn't check Sam for ticks yet, Quil,_ Embry teased, pushing Quil towards Sam with his head. Quil tensed up, not wanting to be the one to face Sam's possible lashing. Quil took in two giant, exaggerated puffs of air from several yards away.

 _Nope, no ticks. I know what they smell like,_ Quil proclaimed confidently, already turning away. Jared gently turned him back towards their heavily agitated Alpha.

 _Nobody in this pack can stay mad at you, Quil,_ his pack brother reminded. _If anyone is gonna bring Sam down unharmed, it's gonna be you. You bring out the best in people._

_Are you sure you're not thinking about Seth?_

_You can bring Seth as backup,_ Jared promised, causing the young Clearwater to whine. _You'll be fine, both of you. When has Sam ever hurt you?_

It proved to be the wrong thing to ask, as Quil almost immediately rang up the memory of Sam hitting him in the face, albeit on accident, after the fight when Embry got injured. Seth reminisced on a time where Sam hit him on the paw so hard for arguing that it hurt for ten minutes afterward, all the while Seth had trouble walking and moving. Only after seeing how worried Seth was about how a bone was possibly broken did he apologize for it. Jared saw the error in his ways, but he certainly wasn't about to go talk to Sam himself.

 _You'll be okay,_ he assured. Quil turned to see Seth emerge behind him, staying a safe distance behind.

 _What if we're not okay?_ Quil stalled, worried for his safety. _What if Sam cuts me?_

 _Then I'll lick your booboos myself,_ Jared promised, rolling his eyes. The entire pack chuckled, save for the two about to go on what was effectively a suicide mission. Quil took a shaky breath, not knowing what to expect. Quil cautiously approached as slowly as he could have without being accused of stalling, eventually coming within ten feet of Sam. He quickly turned around to make sure Seth was still behind him. Sam was still circling the dead vampires with his eyes shut, and the Ateara didn't know what he was expected to do while the entire pack watched him. Quil anxiously checked for Seth again, taking comfort in knowing there was backup in case he got whacked in the face.

 _Hello?_ Quil asked dumbly, trailing Sam for a few seconds. He didn't expect an answer.

 _Still here,_ Seth thought, sensing that Quil was about to check for him again. Ever so tentatively, Quil placed a paw on Sam's shoulder. The Alpha jumped, turned around so quickly that Quil got hit in the face with wind, and stared down the wolf before him. The pack had no advice for him. Not quite sure what to do, Quil shoved his face under Sam's head. The lupine display of affection caught Sam off guard to such a degree that he stumbled back as the Sam-wolf fled immediately.

 _What was that?_ Sam asked slowly, dipping into the pack mind with more strength.

 _You tell me,_ Jacob thought. _We've been here for like twenty minutes waiting for you to come to your senses._

 _Hitting me in the face probably would've worked,_ Sam recommended dryly. His thoughts came through very frenzied despite his speech being slow. _Is everyone okay?_

 _Yeah,_ nine wolves thought at once. Although their individual voices weren't distinguishable from each other, Sam could sense that all of them had thought something.

 _What exactly was that, Sam?_ Leah interrogated, in regards to the situation. She didn't like to feel taken advantage of, and she blamed Sam for falling victim to vampire powers.

 _The leader wasn't as benign as I thought,_ Sam admitted, his thoughts embedding the same turbulent energy as before. _The leader had powers like the Cullen war general, times ten._ Sam shook his head as if to shake the memories out. _In short, it was a bunch of mosquitoes trying to take advantage of us. And I won't let it happen again, especially not tonight,_ he decided. The wildness in his mind didn't die down. _We need six wolves on patrol for the next six hours._

 _Alright, let's slow down,_ Jared urged. It was clear to the pack now that Sam was very overstimulated. _We don't need that many._

 _You're questioning my authority,_ Sam accused, stepping back to the group as if to fight them. _I say we need six wolves. That's non-negotiable._

 _I'm not saying you're not in charge,_ Jared allowed. _I'm saying you're pretty agitated right now and that you probably shouldn't be making decisions. This is why you chose a Beta. You trust Jacob, right?_ Jared prodded. Nobody else dared to think, knowing that if Sam was going to listen to anybody, it was going to be to Jared. _Jacob will handle the defense of La Push until tomorrow. You need to sleep._

Sam gave no response, continuing his routine of breathing slowly yet loudly. The pack could tell he heard their words, but wouldn't dignify them with a reply. Jared sighed.

 _Why do you have to be so difficult sometimes?_ Jared asked as he padded up to Sam, bumping his forehead with his. From there, Jared gave the biggest dog eyes he could muster. He knew exactly what Sam was weak to and how to use it. It went off without a hitch.

 _That was a cheap move,_ Sam grumbled. _Fine. Two wolves. But I'm still talking midnight patrol for myself._

 _Nope,_ Jacob decreed, taking charge of patrol assignment. _You need to go home and.. do whatever it is Uleys do. We can't have you unstable like this. Go home, see your imprint, get some sleep, do whatever. But I'm not letting you run midnight patrol._

 _I'm still the Alpha,_ Sam warned, a distant part of him stirring in anger to see his subordinates order him around. _I have the final say._

 _Nobody is disputing that when you're stable,_ Jacob allowed. _That doesn't apply right now. You can patrol at six, tomorrow morning._ Sam grumbled, but ultimately forfeited. He would have to take the six slot for it to be the closest feeling to midnight patrol. Glancing at the dead vampires, though, Sam was reminded of another obligation.

 _We're going to the Cullens tomorrow,_ he decreed. _8 o'clock sharp. Midnight patrol will go to six, and the slot after will span six to eight. Eight to the end of the confrontation, and whenever that is to noon,_ Sam decided. Choosing the patrol times made him feel like he still had at least some say in the pack affairs. The werewolves didn't stop him. None of them dared to ask who he was planning on taking to the Cullen house, figuring that adding any more pressure to him could make him pop like a balloon.

 _Alright,_ Jared allowed, seizing command of the patrol assignment, not wanting to tax Sam any more than they had to, and it was clear that Jacob had no interest in leading the pack for the time being. _I'm handling midnight patrol tonight. Any volunteers for my partner?_ The pack looked around at each other, silently calculating who they would collectively throw under the bus. They eventually came to the same consensus.

_Paul._

_Aw, come on,_ Paul complained, throwing a mock fit about it. _All of you? Really? A unanimous decision?_ The pack mind was quiet. _You're all jackasses, y'know that?_ A few pack members laughed, and Paul laughed, too, to show that he wasn't truly mad about it. Quil monitored Sam's jagged breathing all the while, jumping a little every time he took a particularly uneven breath.

 _She has a lighter,_ Sam announced monotonously. _I'll phase and burn 'em._

 _Only if you want to,_ Quil reminded slowly, not wanting to trigger his Alpha.

 _I do,_ Sam thought back in a voice that sounded just as human as it did wolf-like. _I'll be in touch with you all soon._ With that, his voice filtered out of the pack mind. Taking it as a dismissal, the pack slowly broke off and headed back towards their respective homes. Not wanting to watch Sam burn the bodies, they relied on Leah to tell them if he reentered the pack mind. The pack was much too nervous to think behind his back until after they were sure he wouldn't reenter.

 _So,_ Embry thought. _That was a lot._

 _You said it,_ Jacob agreed. _What even was that? What were those bloodsuckers doing?_

 _I dunno,_ Jared admitted. _I was just following Sam. I didn't really have much control over the pack mind._

 _Agreed,_ Seth, Brady, and Quil thought simultaneously. Brady was especially shy about speaking up.

Collin and Brady quietly broke off from the mob and wandered in the vague direction of their houses through the forest. They weren't confident that they were going the right way, but they were fairly desperate to get out of the pack mind, fearing the pack would randomly start judging them for being the youngest. Their presences were removed from the pack mind a few seconds after they were out of sight, having phased back into human form. It was Paul who left next, without so as much as a goodbye.

 _Who is on patrol right now, exactly?_ Jacob asked. Much of the pack shrugged.

 _I think we still are,_ Jared thought, denoting himself and Quil. Jared realized that by volunteering for midnight patrol, he essentially volunteered for a double patrol shift without a break in between. He instantly regret drafting himself into the position, but he knew that the alternative was Sam, who would probably spend six hours slowly working himself up into a state of agitation that would take hours for him to come down from.

 _Good luck,_ Jacob bid as he phased out, right in front of his house in rough contrast to the werewolves who journeyed through much of the woods beforehand. Leah and Seth were the next to phase out, and any pack members thereafter were left a mystery to the siblings.

 _Adios,_ Leah thought, phasing before she had to listen to a bunch of her pack brothers repeating it back to her. As soon as she was out of the pack mind and in the safety of her own yet again, she was able to freely rant to herself about what Jared and Jacob had jointly suggested. Leah couldn't blame Jared for having his mind poisoned and reprogrammed by imprinting, but she thought more of Jacob than to suggest that Emily, as Sam's imprint, could work as a reset button of sorts. It was very rare for her to see Sam so worked up, even during their dating days, and it took her several minutes of carefully choosing what to say and when. It was almost an insult of sorts for Jared and Jacob to suggest that merely seeing Emily would do all the work for them.

Leah sighed as she realized that her pack brothers were probably right. Imprinting probably _did_ work like that. It didn't care much for relationships, or practicality, or much of anything. All imprinting knew was how to randomly snap half a werewolf's personality away and auto-fill in the blanks with traits their imprints happened to like in people. It was a sick idea to Leah and she would hate to see it happen to _anybody_ , least of all the man she used to love, and still did in a lot of ways. She knew that as soon as he imprinted on her cousin, the old Sam she grew up with and learned to love was gone, and replaced with whatever Emily "needed" in a person. Leah had spent her fair share of nights in tears cursing the werewolf gods for adding the character-smashing mechanism that seemed to benefit everyone but her.

Leah met up with Seth on the walk home, having driven herself very annoyed by the rant that exploded in her head minutes earlier. She was glad that Seth could read her like a book and took her cues to mean _don't talk._ Despite this, Leah couldn't help but initiate a conversation to distract herself.

"Your sleeves aren't long enough," she complained. "You're gonna catch pneumonia one of these days."

"Is there ever a moment you aren't worrying about me?" Seth asked, rolling his eyes.

"The world is bent on taking everything _else_ from me," Leah let slip. "I'm not losing my only brother because he refused to believe pneumonia existed."

Sue was pacing around the porch by the time the Clearwater teens approached. Leah sighed, knowing they would likely have to pass some sort of impossible questionnaire to be granted entry to their own house. Leah raised her hand as if to say _I can explain._

"What happened?" Sue asked, dumbfounded. "You were gone for a half hour. Probably more. I lost track of time."

"I'm not sure on the details," Leah admitted, "but three leeches are dead."

"Did anyone get hurt?"

"I think Jacob broke a nail," Leah smirked, implying that a broken nail was the worst injury. Sue nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answers.

"Dinner is still here if you want it," Sue called over her shoulder, already on her way back into the house. "It's probably a little cold."

"You know me," Leah offered. "I'll eat anything that doesn't have icicles on it."

『••✎••』

Leah had grown desensitized to walking in on her brother doing strange things.

Love was a strange thing, Leah knew. It could make people do things many would consider irrational, such as dumping one's girlfriend of four years in favor of an imprint. It could drive people to hurt themselves or others. Or it could bond two people together who would otherwise have never had a connection. Leah often wondered how she could possibly grow to irrevocably love someone like Seth when he made it difficult all the time. If he wasn't her brother, she wasn't sure she would even _like_ him. The lines are easily blurred.

Leah's first observation in the kitchen that morning was that Sue wasn't there. Her second was that her beloved brother was intensely staring at the toaster, seemingly waiting for bread to pop up. She let out a heavy sigh, hoping he wouldn't hear.

"You're focusing too hard on the toaster instead of the time until it's done," Leah warned. "When it pops up, it's gonna scare the daylights out of you."

"I don't believe ya," Seth said confidently, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at his sister. Leah rolled her eyes, knowing that she was right, but lacking the energy to argue about it. Seth didn't much like listening to the voice of reason. Leah dug a water bottle out of the fridge just as the toaster popped up. As she predicted, Seth flinched hard. Leah found herself laughing instead of being annoyed.

"You never trust me," Leah criticized.

"Shut up," Seth said quietly, burning up with embarrassment, taking his bread and ripping it apart with his teeth. Quil entered their kitchen without knocking again, assuming that he had gained the right to do so simply by avoiding being called out for it the first time he tried. "Hey, Quil!"

"Hey, bro," Quil nodded, oddly setting the patrol schedule on the counter instead of handing it to a Clearwater or rambling about its contents. "You were chosen to come with the squad to the Cullens, Leah," he relayed. Seth was secretly happy to be left out of the equation, reading the patrol schedule for himself.

 _12am - 6am / Jared, Paul  
_ _6am - 8am / Collin, Brady  
Cullen Party / Seth  
_ _Until 12pm / Seth, Leah_  
12pm - 6pm / Jacob, Embry  
6pm - 12am / Quil, Jared

"Oh boy, what a pleasant surprise," Leah said sarcastically. _Why do I always have to go?_ "Better practice breathing through my mouth for a while."

"No need," Quil waved off. "If all goes according to plan, we won't be there very long anyways."

"We're meeting vampires," Leah reminded. " _Any_ length of time is too long."

"Granted, but we need the Cullens to know what _we_ know. They can probably help us a lot more that way."

"We don't need any help from them. I don't know why Sam is wasting so much time with it. To be diplomatic?"

"Because we _do_ need them," Quil opinionated. "And Sam wants to come off as approachable. He's the leader of a group they don't like; the least he can do is come off as amiable to them. The leader, Carlizzle or whatever? He seems to like Sam. He probably wouldn't as much if he didn't make such frequent stops there," he said. Leah was quiet. "Speaking of Sam, that reminds me: he's holding a pre-confrontation of sorts at his house."

"He's never done that before," Leah said, looking to Seth as if he had the answers. He shrugged. "Why today?"

"He didn't say," Quil shrugged back. "Though if you ask me, I think it's because he's intent on proving his stability."

"I don't think he needs to prove much of anything," Leah criticized.

"You know how Sam is," Quil offered. "He's very panicky about this stuff, even if he's damn good at hiding it. Anyway, you in?"

"Nothing better to do," Leah allowed, looking to Seth. "When am I due for my daily running-in-circles?"

"Right after you're done with the Cullens," Seth relayed. "Whenever you're done until noon, anyway, with me as your partner."

"Sounds good to me," Leah said as if she had a choice if it _didn't_ sound good to her. She grabbed a banana off the counter, heading towards the door with Quil right behind her. "If you see Mom, tell her I got an early start on the Tenth Crusade," she asked her brother. He nodded.

The air was oddly humid for early morning Washington. Most of the year, residents of Forks would be wishing for hot weather, and now that it was here and never seemed to be going away, they soon wished for their typical rainstorms to return. The summers were usually warmer, but the population was quickly growing tired of overdressing after wrongly assuming the weather. Leah peeled the banana as soon as she was off her property.

"Quick! What type of banana is this?" Leah asked rapidly in between bites. Quil smirked.

"Come on," he whined. "Too easy. That's a Cavendish. There are no other prominent bananas for sale here." Leah grumbled.

"You win this round," she squinted. "But mark my words, I _will_ trip you up one of these days."

"Looking forward to it."

The rest of the trip passed in silence as Leah devoured the rest of her banana. Unsure on what to do with the peel, and unable to find a nearby compost pile, she resorted to sticking the peel in her pocket, hoping to remember to deal with it later. _I'm definitely gonna forget about this,_ she predicted. Much of the pack was already outside by the time Quil and Leah arrived. She recognized the typical Cullen trip roster: Jacob, on account of being Beta; Jared, on account of being Sam's best friend; Paul, on account of being loud; and Embry, the wildcard. Leah knew why she was there. _Sam just likes seeing me._ The thought didn't make her feel better after she realized that it was still eclipsed by the feelings he had for Emily.

"Water?" Sam asked, popping up next to Leah. She almost stumbled back.

"Good morning to you too, Samuel," she replied, taking the plastic cup. "Salted?"

"Unsalted," he nodded. "The way _peasants_ drink their water."

"If drinking water without salt makes me a peasant, then give me my hoe and point me to the field."

"Thanks for coming out so early in the morning, anyway," he said, sitting on the log in his front yard. Leah took it as an invitation to sit beside him. To the untrained eye, anyone would have assumed that they were still together. Both desperately wanted it to be the case, but neither could alter the gravity-shifting force of imprinting. Leah sighed to herself, fruitlessly wishing for the millionth time that things could just go back to the way they were.

"What exactly was that yesterday?" Leah asked, uncomfortably yet comfortably close to Sam on the log, so close that she could feel his body heat.

"It was some leech with some out-of-this-world powers, with -"

"I wasn't talking about the vampire," Leah clarified. "I was talking about _you_. You seemed very uneasy yesterday after it all happened."

"Oh, that?" Sam tried to make his voice sound as casual and over-it as possible. "I guess that's just what happens when you and your wolf try to talk at the same time. Things get pretty hectic in your mind and your heart rate is always on a steady increase. Shouldn't you know, anyway? You were sharing my brain when it happened."

"Yeah, but it still didn't tell the whole story," Leah said, chugging her water all at once. Sam didn't quite know how to respond, and he ultimately opted not to. Sam checked his watch, which caught Leah off guard. "Since when do you have a watch?"

"Since last year," Sam answered. "I can't wear it that often, though, because it'll get destroyed if I phase with it on," he explained while doing some quick calculations in his head. "Alright," he called, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. "It's a quarter to, so we'll be mobilizing now. Any questions?"

"Yes," Paul said, raising his hand with a smile that said he was about to say something dumb. Sam could read his pack brothers like a book.

"None from the peanut gallery," Sam rephrased. Paul was forced to put his hand down shamefully. "Alright, let's head off."

The voyage to the Cullens was very much a standard one. The pack was so unenthusiastic about going that a motorized scooter could outpace their leisurely stroll towards the estate. Jared and Quil started coughing before they were even within a mile of the house, and Leah couldn't help but feel bad for them. The smell of vampire was terrible for all of them, but it definitely hit them the worst, both having watering eyes before they could even see the house. Sam felt guilty about bringing them at all. They briefly passed by Seth, who was on patrol, which let them know that the border of La Push was near. From there, it wasn't a long walk to the house, through Cullen territory. In the uncharacteristic heat, it felt like a longer walk than it was.

The Cullens weren't outside by the time they took their stance at the end of their driveway. The werewolves, not being particularly known for their patience, grew restless very quickly. _Surely they should have smelled us? Heard us? Seen us?_ The pack was strangely annoyed that the vampires they didn't want to see weren't there.

"They definitely should have _heard_ us by now if nothing else," Leah complained impatiently.

"Maybe they would've heard us if we brought a Geiger counter," Jared quipped, straight-faced.

Carlisle emerged from the house soon enough. He was surrounded on either side by Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Esme. The entire pack noticed that Rosalie was absent, assuming that Carlisle banned her from confrontations based off her slurs towards werewolves. They were all thankful for it, though Sam couldn't help but be unnerved by Jasper's presence. _The Cullen war general,_ Sam identified. _The one with the powers similar to the leader's._ He shifted uncomfortably with newfound discomfort with Jasper's attendance.

"Hello, friends," Carlisle greeted cheerfully.

"Hello," Sam repeated, purposefully omitting _friends._

"How are you healing, Embry?" Carlisle asked. The pack twitched uneasily from how friendly Carlisle was treating them.

"He's fine," Sam answered for Embry. He could sense the discomfort in his pack brother and chose to answer his question so that Embry didn't have to.

"I'm sorry to say that we haven't found much about the Paperclippers since our last visit," Carlisle said, reading Sam's mind. "Nothing of note, in any case."

" _We_ certainly found something of note," Sam announced. "Many things of note, actually."

"Oh?" Carlisle sounded, his curiosity peaking. Jasper and Emmett shared their adoptive father's enthusiasm about the topic, while Alice and Esme looked nervous, seemingly afraid that the threat of the paperclip clan was real after all. They had never seen one personally, but to hear about the pack fighting them practically on their behalf led them to wonder how long they had until another battle was on the horizon. "What exactly did you find?"

"We found so much, I don't even properly know where to begin," Sam admitted. "Maybe you should ask the questions."

"Very well," Carlisle nodded. "If you don't know the answer, you're free to tell us."

"Well aware."

"Well then, is the paperclip group with the Volturi?" Carlisle asked, feeling it to be the most important question. All their theories were built on it.

"Quite the opposite," Sam said. "They're _against_ the Volturi. They're looking for people to fight the Volturi with them."

"They are?" Carlisle asked, masking his shock. Every assumption he made about the group was rendered null and void in a single question.

"They are," Sam confirmed. "They were looking for _you,_ actually. The Olympic coven. They seemed to be under the impression you would join them."

"That can't be good," Carlisle thought out loud, evidently worried and surprised. "I don't want to get linked to this group. We might have to answer to the Volturi for something we didn't do," he added nervously. The vampires behind him were silent as ever. "Regardless, I wouldn't have joined them even if I _did_ want to. The Volturi are a large coven. The Paperclippers didn't have the numbers even _before_ you started chopping them down."

The pack smiled proudly.

"How did you find that out, precisely?" Carlisle continued.

"We got a friendly visit from three of them," Sam answered. "They came onto our territory and started preaching. They were very willing to start spilling all sorts of information. The one who did all the talking may have been the leader. Not just of the group, but of the entire coven."

"And what happened to them?"

"Dead," Jacob filled in proudly. "We took all three of them out."

"Including the leader," Sam clarified. "If she was the leader of the coven, the Paperclippers could be as good as extinct now."

"Did they attack you, or did they just preach to you, in your own words?"

"They didn't attack us," Sam said slowly, thinking hard about the words as he said them, "but we had our reasons to kill them anyways."

"That they were on your land?" Carlisle guessed. Sam shook his head at first, but fixed it into an unsure nod.

"Not only that, but the leader had a power I didn't trust," he said, glancing at Jasper. He didn't take kindly to it.

"What're you looking at, hound?" Jasper spit. It felt to him like Sam was passive-aggressively calling him out for something he couldn't control.

"The leader's power, in question, was very similar to yours," Sam explained, in a tone that bordered an accusation. "Only stronger."

"Who was the leader, if I may?" Carlisle asked, hoping to distract the two from their squabble. "I may have an explanation on their power."

"What makes you think you have an explanation on a name alone?" Sam asked incredulously. Carlisle smiled.

"I did my time with the Volturi," Carlisle reminded. "Members of the Volturi tend to meet many, many vampires in their day. With meeting a lot of vampires comes seeing a lot of different powers at work, and I still have many of them memorized. It may not be as reliable as a library, but I can do my best and use process of elimination."

"They didn't exactly give me a name," Sam said. "We just called them _leader, male,_ and _female_ in the pack mind."

"Well, conversely, if you give me a power, I can give you a name, and then it shouldn't be too hard to puzzle out the paperclip coven once and for all."

"I can't be sure if it was one parasite with a super strong power, or if the two behind him were piling on _their_ powers, too," Sam rationalized.

"Nomads often travel in groups for decades," Carlisle said. "Trust me, I'll know. Now if you could just stop worrying and talk to me?"

"The power was like pathokinesis and hypnosis rolled into one like a fucked up burrito," Sam explained, the pack grinning at his very Sam Uley-like word choice. "It was like a feeling of.. respect, and devotion, and trust for the leech, even though everyone in the pack mind knew it was irrational. We all had very limited control over ourselves for at least a few minutes," he went on, uncomfortable. "I don't know, I'm not a damn poet."

Carlisle nodded, trying to piece out which parts of it were familiar to him.

"Is a power like that even _possible?"_ Quil asked innocently.

"I'm sure it is," Carlisle answered, still deep in thought. "Any skilled vampire can focus their power on the wolf part of your brains for increased effects on Quileute werewolves, considering your wolves prevail physically; not mentally," he rambled as he tried to reach a conclusion. "I have my guesses to who the leader could've been, but nothing I can say for sure. If you can tell me anything more, it'd go very far."

"They hate werewolves," Jared spoke, bitter. Carlisle wasn't surprised.

"That's a fairly defining characteristic of the vampire," he said. "Anything else?"

"Nothing apart from the crest," Sam said, talking out his lighter. The pack snickered at him as quickly as they could manage. _Him and that lighter are best friends._ Sam walked up to Carlisle as slowly as he could without looking like he was purposefully avoiding him, and he showed Carlisle what the leader told him. "It's an old-as-dirt Volturi crest with a line through it." Anyone could've seen how uncomfortable both parties looked to be so close to each other. The Sam-wolf was practically doing back flips, begging for Sam to lash out. Sam managed to keep his self-control.

"Ah, I see it now," Carlisle nodded. "Why such an old crest? They haven't used this one since.. the American revolution, or thereabouts."

"The leader claims it's an old symbol because back when the Volturi was using that crest, they 'deeply wronged her and her coven' or something stupid. She mentioned something like 230-something years ago but I couldn't possibly remember exactly what she said now. I think she's just blindly after revenge."

"I can't be sure exactly who it is," Carlisle started, "but your help has been astronomical."

"Better have been," Sam said under his breath, half jokingly and half meaning it.

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" the Cullen patriarch asked. Sam was about to give the standard _no_ before the pathokinetic Cullen caught his peripheral vision.

"I'd much appreciate it if your son doesn't attend future meetings like this," Sam requested. He knew it was a bold thing to ask. "The war general," he narrowed down.

Jasper didn't take it well.

"Are you saying there's something _wrong_ with me?" he yelled. _"What are you saying is wrong with me?_ What do you _mean_ by that?" Jasper seethed.

"I had a pretty awful experience with mood-shifting vampires yesterday, and I wanna make sure that none of that'll be happening anymore," Sam explained calmly, wanting his laid back aura to highlight and contrast Jasper's outrage.

"I haven't been doing that! Not once!"

"Regardless, I just want to be sure," Sam assured, "especially when making big decisions like this." Before Jasper could yell something back, Carlisle stepped up.

"Now now," he said, waving his arms. "He has the right to be put off by vampires with mood-altering abilities after experiencing the paperclip leader's powers firsthand."

"It's not _my_ fault that the hound is being over-dramatic!"

"I'll talk to you about it later," Carlisle promised. "Wait inside for now, though?"

"And why should I do that?" Jasper questioned harshly. "Because Wolf-boy doesn't like me? Well I don't like him so I guess we're even. Get over it."

 _"Jasper,"_ Carlisle repeated. "Wait inside. I'll talk to you later."

Jasper didn't reply. Instead, he stared at Sam fiercely, unblinking. The two were locked in a staring contest of sorts, with both waiting out the other to see who would give up first. After a particularly tense five seconds, Jasper turned around and sped into the house in a blur of speed without another word. Sam rolled his eyes at the childish display that had just transpired before him.

"You'll have to excuse my son," Carlisle pleaded. "He doesn't take well to being excluded in these types of meetings."

"I could've told you that much," Sam muttered. "Regardless, if you can find anything about this group, we should be the first to know."

"Understood," Carlisle nodded. "And if there's anything else we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask. You've done so much for us already."

"I think we can be self-sufficient for now," Sam predicted. The pack wasn't warm to accepting welfare from vampires, and Sam had to speak as politely as possible.

"Truly," Esme said, quiet and shy. "Anything you need, be it clothes or food or something else. You've all been very brave with defending us from these Volturi haters and we'd like to show our appreciation however we can," she continued, looking almost fondly upon the werewolves.

" _You'd_ like to," Emmett whispered to himself, distancing Esme's actions from that of the family. _We aren't friends with them,_ Emmett thought.

"There's nothing we really need at the moment," Sam said, considering it. He briefly glanced to Jacob for any input as Beta, before remembering there _was_ something they needed from them. Something that Jacob would thank Sam for later. "Information on Bella would be nice, though."

"You'd like information on Bella?" Carlisle parroted, as if unsure he heard him right. Sam nodded.

"The latest scoop on the newlywed," Sam confirmed. Carlisle looked around his family nervously.

"She hasn't been turned yet," Carlisle said slowly, nervous of what would come next. "Additionally," he started, gulping. "Bella thinks she's pregnant."

The pack was immediately enraged. It was the worst possible thing he could have said at that moment. Most of the werewolves started yelling arguments and insults over each other, with the exception of Sam, who had to look professional despite his rising blood pressure, and Jacob, who appeared to be in shock. While the Alpha didn't join in the arguing, he made no active effort to stop them. The groups were a rock throw away from physical violence.

"Can you please quiet your pack?" Carlisle asked Sam. "I don't want any blood in the streets." Sam eyed Carlisle very carefully, as if studying every aspect of his face before calling to his pack over his shoulder, not caring enough about it to face them.

"Quiet," was his simple command. It was no Alpha command, but the pack knew that if they didn't do it on the first try, one would be in hot pursuit. Only Paul kept arguing after the initial command, quieting after he heard his pack brothers and pack sister obey Sam's order.

"To clarify," Carlisle started in the calmest voice he could muster, "Bella doesn't _know_ she's pregnant. She only _thinks_ she is. I'm not sure a pregnancy is even _possible_ between vampires and humans," he lied. He knew the stories of the Immortal Children, but he couldn't let the wolves know them; it definitely wouldn't help his position. _A white lie,_ he told himself.

"That's not enough," Sam said, his tone diluting with anger.

"I'm sorry I can't give you more of an explanation, truly, I am," Carlisle mediated, "but there's nothing we can do way out here in Forks, and the treaty hasn't technically been broken yet."

"The consensus of the Quileute tribe was that impregnation counts as violation," Sam relayed, spitefully.

"I don't think it's fair to count it as such," Carlisle opinionated quietly, more aimed at the Volturi's ban than the pack's.

"The pack decided what the pack decided," Sam said definitively.

"I beg of you not to act out of anger until you know for certain what you're doing," Carlisle warned.

"We know that Bella is pregnant. That's enough for us," Sam said. Jacob had finally gotten over his shock, which faded into anger.

"You know that Bella _thinks_ she's pregnant," Carlisle corrected. Keeping them all on the same page was vital when they were so close to a riot.

"It's only a matter of time until we get a confirmation," Sam figured. Carlisle bit his lip nervously.

"And what will you do if you get one?" he asked. The vampires were worried for what his answer could've been.

"Appropriate action will take place on ground of treaty violation," Sam explained, almost threateningly.

"We can work this all out if we just talk about it," Carlisle reminded, anxious. "Please don't do anything stupid."

"We won't," Sam assured darkly. The vampires shared a few uncertain glances at each other. It was Esme who spoke.

"You're always welcome to stop by to talk through our issues," Esme reminded. "Or to get food or clothes or anything you need."

"We aren't dog owners," Emmett complained. "We're not helping our enemies. We're not helping those _dogs_. Not under our name."

"Then they can get them on behalf of me personally," Esme said, looking her adoptive son dead in the eyes. Emmett was rendered silent. "I've come to know you all well, at least from afar," she continued, facing Sam again, occasionally shifting her gaze between a few of the werewolves behind him. "I've grown to like you all so much. I'd be very sad to watch you all die."

"We don't know anything yet," Carlisle summarized. "I could've withheld the information earlier. I told you out of trust and transparency," he said. "I've been feeling a lack of trust and transparency between us, and I want to rebuild it. If you'll let me, Just Sam?"

"That depends on a lot," Sam said. "An uneasy peace is the most you can really ask for at this point."

"If there's anything I can do or say to help that, please tell me," Carlisle pleaded. Sam thought about it.

"Alright, riddle me this," Sam started. Carlisle was hopeful. "Let's say the leader succeeded in her oddball hypnosis attempt and turned us all into wolf slaves or whatever," he posed as a hypothetical situation, tilting his head threateningly the way a dog would. "Would you have stood up for us?"

"It would.. depend," Carlisle managed, not sure how to answer the question. He knew he would have to tell Sam the truth, no matter how bad it made the vampires look; trust and transparency was built on honesty. "It would depend on when and where, like.. if the leader rolled up with the entire pack, eleven strong, I believe it is? I probably wouldn't, because that would most certainly mean our demises. But otherwise? I probably would," Carlisle offered. He desperately hoped that it was the right thing to say, but Sam's expression was unreadable. "I wasn't lying when I said I want us both to be safe and comfortable," he said quietly after.

After a few seconds of silence, Sam nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with his answer. Carlisle had never been more relieved.

"That'll be all, then," Sam nodded again, turning away from the vampires, who had grown used to the werewolf not giving them formal parting phrases. Carlisle could only be glad that he wouldn't be interrogated any further so early in the morning. Alice was glad that she didn't have to say a single word as she disappeared into the house, following closely by her family.

"Thanks for the visit," Carlisle smiled, the two groups parting in relative peace.

『••✎••』

Leah never seemed to grow bored of the night sky.

The light pollution from Forks carried over into La Push, at least by a little, and it always bothered Leah that what she was seeing may not have been everything there was to see. When she was younger she used to try to count the number of stars in the sky but could never seem to remember staying awake long enough to do so. Seth never seemed as interested in astronomy as Leah was, and she held it against him from time to time but he was ultimately unwavering. It was something she was forced to partake in alone. Not even Sue would humor her with it. _They're the ones missing out, not me,_ Leah would comfort herself with, secretly wishing her brother was beside her as she watched to sky move in an astrological circle at a glacial pace.

Despite the dim light show that was occurring in the sky, Leah couldn't seem to admire it. Her mind was stuck contemplating everything else. She didn't know what the case was between Sam and Seth. She knew things had been getting better at a snail's pace, but they were still getting _better_.. right? Seth didn't stand as far away from Sam anymore, and Sam didn't seem as upset about it when she got brief glimpses in the pack mind. Leah knew that Sam and Seth's relationship was still strained at best, and she felt helpless because she couldn't do anything to fix it, especially not by herself.

Leah also wasn't sure on the situation halfway around the world with Bella Cullen and her half-undead lover. Leah questioned how Bella wasn't _sure_ if she was pregnant; surely she rather was or she wasn't. Something must have happened that led Bella to the assumption, and Leah desperately didn't want to think about it. Either way, she couldn't help but notice his reaction after Carlisle broke the news: dead silence. Leah wasn't confident on the way Jacob still felt for her. _Bella rammed into his heart so many times I'd be surprised if he still loved her,_ she thought. It wasn't something she could simply ask him. Speculation was all Leah had.

There was also Quil and Embry, Jacob's supposed best friends who barely spent any time with him. _Has Jacob gone all isolationist?_ Leah knew that one way or another, she would have to talk to Jacob, and that was a minefield in of itself. Jacob was complicated. Regardless, if Quil and Embry were upset about being tossed aside, they were professionals at hiding it. Quil only had one mood, and that was unconditional happiness. Quil was perhaps the biggest conundrum of them all. Leah noticed a lot of the things she said and felt towards Sam she also felt towards Quil in the past week, and towards Jacob, as well. _Is this love?_ Leah wasn't sure what to make of it. She couldn't possibly have moved on from Sam, and she couldn't possibly allow herself to like her pack brothers.. right?

A firefly landed on the pine tree, and its glow caught Leah's eye. She hadn't seen the pine tree in the moonlight since she was still Sam's girlfriend, and the realization made her sad. _Why can't things be as simple as they used to be?_ Leah sighed.

Leah could feel her wolf stir very roughly. She hit her chest with the tightest fist she could make, hoping it would make her wolf shut up and cower away. The method worked a fair third of the time, and a third was good enough for Leah. Her wolf stirred again, angrier this time. Unballing her first, Leah noticed that her thumb lagged behind the rest of her hand by a small bit. She was confused on why it happened. She flexed and unflexed her fingers a few more times just to confirm it wasn't an isolated incident; sure enough, her thumb was marginally behind the rest of her hand. A few brief seconds of wondering brought about her answer.

 _Wolves don't have thumbs,_ she thought.

Never had Leah regretted giving her chocolate to Emily more than she had in that moment. _Shut up,_ Leah thought, frustrated, hitting her stomach again. Her wolf persisted. Her memories flashed back to her patrol with Seth, when Sam had a miniature argument with her over her refusal to go wolfing. She figured that Sam would probably drop an anvil on her if she didn't at least give it a try, and she was desperate enough to have nothing to lose.

Leah got up, glancing back to her house briefly, wondering whether or not she should announce her departure. She settled in the negative in the end. Sue was used to her not being home all the time, whether she was busy with pack stuff or out and about being a rebellious teenager. _Mom won't be worried if I'm gone just a few minutes,_ she defended. _She might not even notice._ After all, Seth went wolfing all the time and Sue never interrogated him for it.

Leah phased in and the patrolling wolves were immediately thrown off. One of them almost fell over.

 _Clearwater?_ Jared's familiar voice sounded, confused. _What're you doing here?_

 _Don't mind me, I'm just spectating,_ Leah quipped, not sure the Wolfite secret code for "going wolfing" _._

 _Can you kindly turn the volume to your wolf down?_ Quil requested, ducking his head from the internal noise.

 _I'd rather find a mute button, please and thank you,_ Leah thought. Jared could read her intentions and his confusion faded as quickly as it arose.

 _It's coolio,_ Jared thought. _It's not uncommon for wolves to come in on other patrol slots for wolfing. Nobody is gonna stop you, it's pretty normal behavior._

 _Nobody's ever come in on_ my _patrols to go wolfing,_ Leah thought flatly. She could tell both wolves were immediately strained by trying to keep something out of the pack mind, and it was Quil who let it slide through, in that nobody could stand to share Leah's headspace, even if it was just for the few minutes it took to achieve wolf status. Leah deflated. _Oh. I get it._

 _It's not against you,_ Jared thought, worriedly.

_I think that's the very definition of something against me._

_Sorry, Leah,_ Quil apologizing quietly, guilty and embarrassed.

 _It's not solely your fault, Quil,_ Leah offered as dry comfort, having been running around in random lines in the forest. _I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do._

 _C'mon, this is easy stuff,_ Jared thought cheerily. _Haven't you ever done this before?_

 _Not really,_ Leah admitted. The idea of teaching her how to got Jared and Quil fired up, and they practically jumped on her like excited dogs.

 _It's not often we get to do anything other than run in circles,_ Quil defended, sensing Leah was annoyed by their enthusiasm. _If we can teach you something new, then it'll be a fun few minutes, at least._

 _Fine,_ Leah nodded. _Teach away._

 _Right, so,_ Quil started, so excited his words were slurring together. _You know how your wolf is super loud and annoying, right?_

 _Careful, Quil,_ Leah warned.

 _No, I mean like.. right now,_ Quil clarified.

_Mhm._

_Listen to that,_ Jared advised.

 _I don't know how,_ Leah complained, upset that their instructions were so vague.

 _Just follow your natural instincts,_ Quil shrugged. _The wolf-like ones, like the ones you usually suppress._

 _If you don't feel them, you can bring them out by doing stuff that wolves do,_ Jared thought.

_Such as?_

_Run, jump, hunt, growl. You name it._

_How will I know if it's working?_

_If it's truly working, "you" won't know much of anything,_ Jared explained. The concept was alien to Leah. _It's only afterward that you start to realize._

 _Yeah, but how do I know if it's working?_ Leah repeated.

 _I can't say anyone's ever written a book about it,_ Quil laughed. _A tell-tale sign is when the other voices quiet, in this case, mine and Jared's._

 _Great, anything else?_ Leah asked with a hint of impatience.

 _When you stop seeing red and green, typically,_ Jared foretold. Leah grumbled.

 _Dammit,_ she swore. _I gotta give up colors to make my stupid wolf happy?_

 _It's not that bad,_ Jared chuckled. _Colors are overrated anyways._

 _To you,_ Leah corrected. _I happen to like seeing in color._

 _You get used to it. It's just for a little while,_ Jared reminded. _I know this is like.. the opposite of what you've been taught, but for now, quiet your human._

 _Yeah, yeah, whatever,_ Leah rushed. She tried to take all of their vague advice into account, and by the time she tried to relay it to herself, she realized she didn't get much usable information from them at all. Jared and Quil were quietly offended that Leah didn't seem appreciative of their lessons on the surface. _I guess I'll try my hand at hunting._

 _There you go,_ Quil supported, his voice bizarrely quieter than his previous comments. Leah didn't think much of it.

 _What am I even supposed to hunt?_ Leah asked, annoyed. _Nocturnal squirrels?_

 _Whatever you can find,_ Jared shrugged, his voice equally quiet as Quil's had been, which Leah found odd. Jared was the loudest werewolf she knew.

Leah rolled her eyes and scanned the environment for anything she could. She hoped her wolf wouldn't make her eat whatever she caught afterward, because she would rather eat her own arm than eat a dead rabbit in the dead of night while her two pack brothers watched her do it. Quil thought something, but Leah couldn't properly hear what he said, it was so quiet to her. Jared replied, and Leah was hardly aware he said anything at all. She couldn't tell if they were talking to her or each other. Leah heard a rustle in the distance, forty feet off, and she jumped and bolted towards it before she even realized what she was doing. Leah could only watch as the Leah-wolf snatched a rat up and killed it.

 _Gross,_ Leah complained. Quil thought something in regards to it, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The Leah-wolf circled a tree, and even though it was a minuscule action, Leah was strangely okay with it. She never would have expected to feel so liberated and joyous to let her wolf run free. She never would have admit it to Sam, but she had to admit to at least herself that she was wrong. Wolfing was not only fine, but something Leah found herself enjoying. She almost regretted going so long without knowing she had this superpower inside of her.

Leah surprised herself with the amount of comfort she showed towards the lupine thoughts flooding her head. Her wolf barked, and Leah couldn't tell why it made her so happy. It was a strange transformation experience, something she figured the Children of the Moon feel, too. The wolf-like thoughts she would have viewed as obstacles the day before she now welcomed wholeheartedly. The mindsets that annoyed her just minutes ago on her backyard porch now made her regret not indulging in them the day she phased for the first time. Leah was surprised that she couldn't properly tell what color the grass was: green or grey. It kept flickering between the two before settling on grey.

For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, Leah felt truly at peace and acceptance with the wolf side of her. It didn't matter to her that it was only temporary. She was free.

Quil's voice almost knocked Leah clean off her paws when she heard it clearly again. She couldn't tell what he said, but she could decipher Jared's laughter after the fact. Quil's amusement was quieter, but still palpable, in that Leah could feel it herself. Leah could sense Quil and Jared's presence in the pack mind grow as the colors returned to her eyes.

 _You're better at this than we thought,_ Quil chuckled. _You're even better at it than Paul is, and this is your first time._

 _What happened?_ Leah asked dumbly, still grasping the last scraps of human consciousness, hoping that Quil could explain the rest to her.

 _You just mastered wolfing in less than an hour,_ Quil thought, amazing even himself that what he was saying was true.

 _Has it really been an hour?_ Leah questioned, dumbfounded. She shook her head vigorously, wondering if she was having a vivid lucid dream.

 _It's more like 45 minutes, but close enough,_ Jared clarified. _I'm glad_ you _had a quick 45 minutes. It really drags when you're the one on patrol,_ he quipped.

 _It feels like it's been five, ten minutes,_ Leah thought. _There's no way almost an hour passed._

 _Yeah, that happens,_ Quil laughed. _I kinda forgot to tell you that part. I was too wrapped up in the 'everything else'._

 _Mhm,_ Leah nodded. _Well, I'm spent. My mom is probably with Charlie Swan right now filing a missing persons report, so I should probably jump._

 _Seeya soon, then, Lee,_ Quil experimented, seeing if Leah would correct him if he shortened her name. She didn't.

 _Catch you on the flip side, pack sister,_ Jared teased. The whole pack knew how the terms bothered her, and Leah argued as soon as he thought it.

 _I'm not your sister,_ she thought.

_Come on, how stubborn are you?_

_You'd be surprised._

_I know we're not_ really _your brothers, but we're your brothers in a different sense. A pack family. It's a different kind of family, but still family. So you can call us pack brothers, it's not a curse word. George Carlin made no mention of pack brothers as a dirty word._

 _It wouldn't sound right,_ Leah complained. _Seth is my brother, not you dumbos._

 _Pack is still family,_ Quil thought. Leah paused, taking in his words like a sponge.

 _Why does this matter so much to you?_ Leah questioned. Quil and Jared shrugged. Leah could tell that it related to some benevolent werewolf psychology that they couldn't change. It would make them happy to hear her say it, and Leah couldn't tell why. It didn't bother her when she didn't, but it bothered the rest of the pack. _Fine,_ Leah thought, exhausted, rolling her eyes. _You both are my favorite annoying idiotic dumb,_ she started, waiting a few seconds. _Pack brothers._

 _She said it!_ Jared celebrating, giving an excited bark that he prayed the pack wouldn't respond to. It was confusing to Leah why two words meant so much to them. Words were power, she knew. It was a small thing, something Leah might have forgotten when the sun rose. But they wouldn't. Quil and Jared were happy as clams to hear Leah accept the pack term, enforcing them as a family. Quil and Jared may have remembered that happy moment for a long time to come.

Leah decided what was more important to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of the second compendium, another ROYGBIV cycle down. Next 7 chapter will be the last 7 chapters so the story might change again thematically, but enjoy the endgame!


	17. Crucible

_That's four in two weeks,_ Carlisle thought to himself, sighing.

Never before had the Cullen family met with the Quileute werewolves more frequently than they had in the last two weeks. Four confrontations, and only three of them ended somewhat peacefully, to Carlisle's count. He wasn't sure how much longer they could keep meeting with the wolves when they were rather aggressive and hostile by nature, and none of them seemed to listen to what the Cullens had to say. _It's only a matter of time, now,_ Carlisle thought, slightly afraid of what would happen in the coming weeks. Bella's pregnancy was up in the air, the wolves were growing more agitated by the day, and a coven of Volturi haters were scoping them out hoping to recruit them. Carlisle knew that the Volturi would take personal issue with all three, and their methods of solving them wouldn't be very agreeable.

The four-century-old vampire climbed the steps that would take him into his house. _One problem at a time._

"I need to write down some notes from Sam," Carlisle announced to the family members behind him, absentmindedly. "That'll make our research a lot easier, though I have my suspicions to who the coven is already," he continued. Alice nodded slightly, even though Carlisle couldn't see it. Emmett quietly muttered something that sounded like _"alright"._ Carlisle opened the door, walking in and moving around it, holding it open for the rest of his family to walk in.

"Thank you," Esme whispered affectionately as she passed.

"If anyone has anything to add, I'll pass the notepad around afterward," Carlisle decided. Alice nodded again, with Carlisle noticing this time. "Any important notes are fair."

"Bold of you to assume he was saying something important," Emmett quipped. Carlisle ignored his side comment.

"Now if I could only find a notepad," he commented to himself, looking around the room for the first time in search of one. Instead, he found an agitated vampire, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms. He looked at his adoptive father expectantly. Carlisle sighed, remembering their sour interaction several minutes before. "I'll get to you in a moment, Jasper," he promised.

"All due respect, I deserve an explanation sooner rather than later," Jasper opinionated. "And it better be a good one."

"You have my word," Carlisle nodded, "but I really should write some things down first." Jasper nodded slowly, as if giving Carlisle permission he didn't need. Esme handed Carlisle a notepad she found on the table, followed by a brief kiss. Carlisle accepted both gladly. He took a pen out of his pocket under the watchful eyes of his entire family, with Jasper's eyes piercing the most. Carlisle jotted down a few highlights he remembered from Sam's explanation.

_Female, traveled in a nomad trio. Pathokinesis. Anti-Volturi._

"Are you done?" Jasper asked impatiently. Carlisle sighed again, passing the notepad to Alice.

"I hope so," he answered quietly, preparing for the worst. Whatever speech Jasper had surely spent the last five minutes rehearsing in his head couldn't have been good news for Carlisle from any angle. He didn't regret casting Jasper away, but he didn't exactly want to deal with the fallout, either.

"Why was I sent inside?" Jasper asked in a troublingly calm voice. The evenness in Jasper's tone made Carlisle's fear much worse rather than better. He would have preferred a clean cut outburst. The lines would be a lot clearer that way. The remaining Cullens held their breath for what would happen next, with Rosalie watching from the safety of the hallway.

"Sam didn't want you there," Carlisle answered, trying to match Jasper's tone. "I couldn't exactly tell him no."

"Why couldn't you tell him no?" Jasper asked, the calmness in his tone gradually fading. " _I_ could have told him no if you wanted me to. It would've taken five words."

"Granted, but -"

"Hell, we could have coordinated it silently if you really wanna save face this much," Jasper argued.

"I know we _could_ have," Carlisle managed. "I thought it would be best if we gave Sam what he asked for."

"Why should we bother?" Jasper asked harshly. "Why on Earth should we respect what the dog at the top wants when _he's_ the one asking _us_ favors, on _our_ property, on _our_ time?"

"I didn't want fighting," Carlisle explained. "You remember last time, don't you? They're very easily set off. I wasn't sure if your presence alone would start a riot, so I erred on the side of caution. I'm sorry I had to exclude you, but I was keeping us as safe as I could have."

"Jasper didn't really do anything, though," Emmett brought up. Carlisle nodded.

"While that's true, Sam didn't want him there anyway," Carlisle offered, tired of answering the same question worded in different ways. "He had his reasons, I'm sure."

"What reasons?" Jasper deadpanned, doubtful that Sam's reasons were anything but racism against vampires. Carlisle sighed a third time, exasperated.

"I'm not Sam," Carlisle said, giving up. If he couldn't convince his adoptive son with what he said already, he was doubtful that anything else would work. It was Esme who would defend the Quileute Alpha, gifted with the talent of compassion, even towards people her own family considered their enemies.

"Sam recently had a bad experience with an empath," Esme explained, her voice full of care and gentleness. "He might associate it with you without meaning to. He sees that your powers are similar and fears that the same thing might happen. You might do the same in his position, Jasp."

"That's not a good enough reason," Jasper argued stubbornly. Esme frowned.

"What's done is done," Carlisle announced, facing Jasper but aimed at the entire family.

"You made our coven look weak," Jasper growled, not finished on the subject. Emmett nodded.

"You've given him the impression that he can make any demand of us and you'll do it," Emmett added. "He'll use that to his advantage the second he has the opportunity."

"What's done is done," Carlisle repeated, firmer the second time around. "I trust Sam to be reasonable. Much more reasonable than Aro would have been in the same scenario, in any case."

"Nobody's arguing that he was worse than Aro," Jasper grumbled. "We're saying he was a demanding jackass nonetheless."

"We're both trying our best to keep our families safe and out of chaos," Carlisle said. "I'm sure I've made demands they saw as unfair before. That's just how it is."

"You _like_ them, don't you?" Jasper accused. "You're always siding with them. Defending them. They're our _enemies._ "

"I don't hate them," Carlisle offered. "I certainly don't have a _crucible_ against them like most vampires do. They're not too different from us."

"The Alpha dog says 'jump', you say 'how high'," Jasper whispered, just quiet enough to be heard by Carlisle, who rolled his eyes in response.

"I'll hear no more on the subject," Carlisle announced. "If you make Sam uncomfortable, Jasper, than I have to comply, or else we can't meet with the wolves at all. That's all there is to say."

"What's the downside of not meeting with the wolves, exactly?" Emmett asked.

"There's still a lot of conflict between our two groups. Meeting regularly will help move towards a stabler peace between us," Carlisle answered. "Besides, we have to work together to deal with this new coven, anyway. If the wolves are our field detectives finding out about the coven, and we're analyzing it behind the scenes while declaring neutrality to the Volturi, then we can defuse the threat without a problem."

"What's the deal with the coven, anyway?" Emmett asked. "We can let them kill the wolves and tell 'em to fuck off if they try to get us to join them. This seems like a very simple problem to me that you're thinking about too hard."

"This new coven affects us all, Emmett," Carlisle explained, remembering the notepad he passed around. "Who has the notepad?"

"Here," Esme said, handing the notepad to her mate, keeping the pen for safekeeping. Carlisle looked over what his family had written carefully.

_Female, traveled in a nomad trio. Pathokinesis. Anti-Volturi.  
American Revolution era Volturi crest thingy  
Wanted us to fight Volturi  
This is stupid._

"This'll be enough," Carlisle summarized. "I know precisely who it is."

"How can you be sure?" Alice asked. "There are a lot of vampires in the world, and all of them know the Volturi. Nobody likes them. It only takes one hotheaded moron to start a coven trying to take them out. It could be anyone, and we don't have a lot of info here."

"I've met them before," Carlisle revealed. "I was still part of the Volturi when I last saw her."

"Why didn't you tell the wolf when he was interrogating us?" Jasper asked, suppressed optimism in his voice to see Carlisle hiding things from the wolves.

"I had to be sure," Carlisle admitted. "I don't know if Sam would appreciate getting _maybes._ I can say with certainty now. Follow me."

『••✎••』

It had been many moons since he had opened it.

The binder stuffed behind his bookshelf in the library was just as dusty as he remembered it being. The once black binder of every vampire he had met from his days as a Volturi member managed to fade into a dark grey over time. Carlisle hadn't thought to open it after the first few visits from the wolves because the sheer volume of vampires cataloged in it would make searching an impossibly difficult waste of time without a lead, but finally Carlisle had gotten one. With a power and a vague backstory pinned down to the leader of the coven, all he would have to do was find her laminated page on an alphabetical basis.

"What _is_ this old thing, again?" Rosalie asked as Carlisle flipped through page after page of distantly familiar vampires.

"Every vampire I've met from the Volturi," Carlisle answered quietly, the majority of his focus on finding the leader. "The Volturi don't know I have it," he added sheepishly. "I made it as more of a side project. I wrote down what I remembered in a small notebook and compiled it over time. I don't know what they'd do if they know I have this."

"You think you can find the leader among all _this_ based on a couple of vague things a werewolf told us?" Emmett asked incredulously. "Consider me doubtful."

"All things are possible," Carlisle assured, about halfway through the binder. "Who else can accurately say that they got a visit from a pack of werewolves fifteen minutes ago? Our world is amazing, Emmett. And if everything else we've ever encountered can exist, I'm confident that I can locate her in the binder."

"Whatever you say," Emmett answered, watching his adoptive father lose hope in real time as he neared the end. After ten or twenty more pages, he noticed Carlisle do a double take, and he ceased flipping pages afterwards. Everybody took this as a sign of him finding the leader, and the family of vampires crowded around to look at her.

"Avis Peyton?" Jasper asked for confirmation. Carlisle nodded slowly.

"Avis Peyton," he repeated. "She's pathokinetic, just like you, Jasper. There's no mention of any.. mind controlling abilities, like Sam described, so one of the two traveling with her must have been able to influence the thoughts of others. I can't tell for sure who the other two were, but Avis was certainly pathokinetic."

"Why would she be after the Volturi?" Esme asked, scanning the brief biography Carlisle supplied.

"I don't remember," Carlisle admitted. "I didn't think she would be that important in the long run, so I only took minimal notes on her. I believe the Volturi had her mate killed for revealing himself to a small group of humans, but there's no way for me to check now. I've burned most of my bridges with Aro."

"Vampires mate for life," Alice brought up. "The male in her group couldn't have been her mate. Just someone she met. Right?"

"Right," Carlisle nodded. Alice felt proud for finally having contributed something. "I can't be sure who her direct companions were."

"If you're right, and one of the two in her direct group was hypnotic," Emmett theorized, pacing slowly in a circle. "Then even after the wolves took her out, she could still have an entire coven out there loyal to her cause," he said. Carlisle nodded slowly, apprehensive. "They would still be willing to fight the Volturi no matter who was in charge, assuming that's how the power worked."

"Avis is dead, though," Carlisle said, hardly believing the words he was saying were true. "Without a leader, the newborns would fight and kill each other. It's their nature."

"Maybe," Jasper said, stepping up as the newborn expert, "but there's still no way for us to know how the power works. We don't even know who it is. If it's strong enough, their cause could unite them whether or _not_ Avis is still alive. How many people do you think she could have turned?"

"I'm assuming she was inspired by Victoria," Alice brought up. "It's only been a couple of months since it happened."

"With Avis's power, though, combined with the mysterious companion, their method could have easily gathered an army of a hundred by now, if they were diligent."

"Newborns fight each other, no matter how _devoted_ they are," Jasper voiced. "Avis is gone. If nothing else, I trust the dog on that much. But as for her coven?"

The group was rendered silent, quietly pondering different outcomes for what was to come. The wolves killed Avis Peyton and her two companions; that much was written in stone. A coven of newborns would see that as treason. A coven of newborns wouldn't stop to ask questions. They knew that Avis was on a trip to recruit the Cullens, and she never came back. They might not be aware of the existence of werewolves, and assume the Cullens were to blame. _How would we stop another army if they came at us all at once?_

A ringing phone distracted the family. Alice fished her cellphone out of her pocket, reading the caller ID, and facing her family again.

"It's Bella," she announced nervously. The family shot up and crowded around the psychic, with Rosalie picking up slight interest and gathering as well. Alice answered her phone and put it on speaker for the whole family. _Hopefully she isn't looking for a private conversation,_ Alice thought resignedly. "Hello, Bella?"

 _"Hey, Alice,"_ Bella spoke in a rushed voice. _"Is it just you?"_

"Not exactly," Alice said, looking around at her family, though she knew Bella couldn't physically see them. "The whole squad is here. You're on speaker."

 _"Good,"_ Bella replied quickly, surprising Alice. She almost sounded sick and nauseous. _"Edward's here too. We're coming home."_

"Already?" Carlisle asked. "You're not due to leave for another few days, if not a week. Is there something wrong?"

 _"Bella's definitely pregnant,"_ Edward answered. _"She missed her period. Is this even possible?"_

"I don't know," Carlisle admitted. "I've never seen anything quite like this before."

 _"Well what do we do?"_ Edward asked, the desperateness contrasting his usual mellow character.

"Come home as soon as you can," Esme voiced. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

 _"What are we gonna do?"_ Bella whispered, quietly, seemingly talking to nobody. _"How are things back home?"_

"They're pretty tense," Alice answered. "I don't know how much more stress our state of affairs can handle _without_ adding a vampire pregnancy."

 _"Why? What's going on?"_ Bella asked. _"Did the Volturi visit?"_

"The Volturi didn't visit," Carlisle assured. "Someone else did," he added. Edward connected the dots.

 _"What did they say? Anything good?"_ Edward asked.

"They found out about the paperclip coven," Alice said, more excited than her family expected. "They hate the Volturi. They wanted us to fight them."

 _"Wanted?"_ Bella asked for clarification, noticing the use of past tense. Alice nodded, forgetting that it couldn't be seen through the phone.

"They're dead now. The leader of the coven and two others," Alice told. Bella sighed in relief. "Turns out the wolves _are_ good for something."

"There could be more," Jasper reminded both Alice and Bella. "The coven could still be alive and well, leader or no leader. We may not be safe here."

 _"What are you suggesting?"_ Edward asked nervously. _"We can't move away from Forks."_

"Why not?" Emmett posed. "We move all the time. We were gonna move anyway, now that the whole thing with Bella is in motion."

 _"We're not ready yet,"_ Edward argued. _"We need more time to sort the story out. Charlie, university, Ren_ _ée? It needs more time to play out."_

"I'm not suggesting we move away," Carlisle interrupted. "Not yet. The Volturi might already know about this coven, and if we suddenly move, that'll make us look super suspicious. In any case, they'd find us eventually. They always do. And then we'd have even _more_ to answer for. We can't abandon ship, not now."

 _"We're not deserting the wolves, either,"_ Bella said, her voice unwavering, showing how nonnegotiable her stance was. _"We need them. I need them."_

"We won't abandon them," Esme promised. "We'll figure this out. Just come home, please? You might not be safe so far away from us."

 _"We'll be back soon. Tonight. Tomorrow. I don't know, just soon,"_ Edward vowed. _"We'll figure this out,"_ he said to everyone, including his wife beside him.

"I know we will," Carlisle assured. "We'll be okay. We always are. Trust me."

 _"We'll be in touch soon,"_ Bella promised. _"Bye for now."_

"Bye for now," most of the Cullens repeated, bar for Rosalie. The dial tone signaled the end of the call as Alice closed the flip-phone and put it back into her pocket. The Cullen family looked around apprehensively. None of them knew what was coming, and their only portal into the future in the form of Alice couldn't see anything. Jasper did his best to suppress the fear in his coven members.

"The ball is in our court," Emmett said quietly. "What's our play?"

For that, none of the Cullens could supply a response.


	18. Return

Quil read the index card he held for the sixth time.

It was widely known that Quil Ateara V, as addictively kindhearted as he was, needed new information to keep entertained at all times. If there wasn't something new and exciting for him to look at or engage with, he grew hopelessly antsy and fidgety in seconds. His mother, the amiable Joy Ateara, had always assumed he had ADHD but didn't have the money to professionally diagnose what they already knew. The wolves of the pack had grown used to deciphering which of Quil's thoughts were relevant in the pack mind and which were frenzied nonsense his mind forced into the conversation before it could stop itself. Jacob and Embry had learned how to keep Quil contained and calmed through the years, but during Quil's long and lonely walks from the Uley house to the Clearwater house to deliver the patrol schedule, the unstimulated Quil desperately searched for any source of interest.

Quil came up short. Resigning, he read the patrol schedule in his hands a seventh time, the intricacies of Sam's lazy handwriting burning into his eyes. Quil sighed, wishing Sam had written more for him to analyze. The Clearwater house was always a welcome sight for Quil. Energized by the prospect of talking to another living person, the young Quileute crossed the yard quickly and knocked on the door.

 _"You don't need to knock,"_ a feminine voice reminded from inside. Quil entered upon the invitation.

"I keep forgetting," Quil said shyly. "It still feels off to be walking into someone else's house so early in the morning."

"You've been doing it every day for a month now and we've never reprimanded you," Seth chuckled. "We aren't gonna start today."

"Yeah," Leah agreed. "We'll start _tomorrow_. When you walk in tomorrow we're all gonna quietly scowl at you until you leave."

"Looking forward to it," Quil smiled while setting the patrol schedule down on the counter. Leah was quick to scoop it up.

_12am - 6am / Sam, Paul  
_ _6am - 9am / Jacob & Embry  
_ _9am - 3pm / Seth, Leah  
_ _3pm - 6pm / Brady, Collin  
_ _6pm - 12am / Jared, Quil_

"Why do you always put it on the counter instead of handing it to me?" Leah asked while scanning for her name.

"In case you don't wanna read it right away," Quil shrugged. Leah laughed lightly, not thinking it was a good enough reason.

"Whose name was written first?" Seth asked curiously, with a hint of competitiveness in his brown eyes.

"Yours," Leah and Quil answered simultaneously, causing them to look at each other. Quil smirked.

"I had nothing to do on the walk over," Quil explained. "Nothing but memorize the patrol schedule."

"Oh yeah?" Leah challenged. "What did Sam write in between Jacob and Embry's name? What's it called?"

"An _ampersand,"_ Quil replied smugly. "It's right above the seven on a keyboard. It means _and_."

"Why on Earth do you know that?" Leah complained, dropping the patrol schedule on the counter in defeat. Quil's smile widened. Seth clapped quietly.

"I know everything, or so you say," Quil supplied, pacing around the Clearwater kitchen, his ADHD picking up. Quil had grown bored of standing in the same spot and suddenly needed to be moving to not feel uncomfortable, hardly noticing he was doing it. "Thanks for yesterday, by the way," he added as an off topic afterthought.

"What did I do yesterday?" Leah asked at first, before realization dawned. _Called Quil and Jared pack brothers,_ her brain reminded. "Oh, right."

"Heh," Quil chuckled. "Jared was raving about it to the very end of patrol. He told Sam and Paul and everything when they phased in."

"He told Sam?" Leah cringed. "He'll practically throw me a damn party for listening to him."

"To be fair, Sam can probably count on his hand the number of times you listened to him," Seth quipped with a smile, feeling out of the loop on what Leah and Quil were discussing in what to him was a secret code. Leah shot him an unamused glare, which only made Seth laugh more. His sister's perpetually over-it demeanor was something Seth found oddly humorous as the years went on.

"Does Sam throw you a party _every_ time you listen to him?" Quil asked, chuckling.

"Feels like it," Leah replied. "I think he just expects so little of me nowadays that anything is noteworthy to him."

"Oh," Quil said quietly. It took a few seconds for Leah to realize how bleak what she just said truly was. Both were stumped on how to reply.

"Hm," Seth sounded after a few seconds. He hated silence more than anyone.

"I should get going," he awkwardly added after another few seconds of silence. Leah nodded somewhat sadly. To nobody would she admit how fond she had grown of Quil's company since the beginning of the period of patrol. Seeing him everyday to get the patrol schedule softened her hard shell slightly. Leah had no way of telling just how strangely reliant on Quil's presence and friendship she had become.

"See ya soonish," Leah promised, turning around, only to notice Quil was already gone. That only made her demeanor sadder. "Must've missed him."

"You know Quil," Seth smiled, hoping it would brighten the mood. "Fast as a fox."

"Maybe Quil should've been a fox shifter instead of a werewolf," Leah quipped dryly, still noticeably glum. "A werefox, if you will."

"We didn't choose this," Seth shrugged. "Maybe he would've chosen fox if we got a wider range of canines to choose from."

"That'll be the day," Leah mumbled exasperatedly. "Have you seen mom?"

"She's somewhere," Seth said. Leah rolled her eyes.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Marple," Leah said. "Do you know where that _somewhere_ is?"

"Somewhere that isn't here," Seth smirked. Leah had to suppress a smile. Her brother knew each and every way to make her laugh.

"Council, I think," a voice called from behind them. Leah jumped to face behind her, while Seth calmly adjusted his gaze.

"Ever heard of knocking, Sam?" Leah complained.

"No, I haven't," Sam deadpanned. "What's knocking?"

"Don't start with me, Uley," Leah grumbled. "Not in the mood for any Uley nonsense this morning."

"I think you say my last name more often than my first name," Sam mused, keeping a gentle yet careful eye on Seth, noticing he didn't leave the room. _Any progress is good progress,_ the Alpha decided. "Anyway, s'nice to see you, Seth," he said without meaning to. Leah cringed. _Freudian slip,_ she knew, feeling embarrassed on his behalf, checking Seth's expression with her peripheral vision. To her surprise, Seth didn't seem to notice that it was an odd thing for Sam to say.

"Danke," Seth smiled. Sam and Leah tried not to sigh in relief too loud, knowing Seth's hearing was the best in the pack.

"Your mother came to visit this morning," Sam said, looking around the room, at anything but Seth and Leah. "Asked about the patrol."

"Yeah, she wants to know when it'll end," Leah supplied. Sam nodded.

"Soon," he promised. "We just have to make sure the paperclip assholes don't come back. We won't know anything until we meet with the Cullens again."

"Why are we meeting with the leeches five times a week nowadays?" Leah complained. "They aren't our friends."

"No, they aren't," Sam agreed, "but they can still help us. We're their allies in times of war."

"Who are we at war with exactly?" Seth asked from the corner, slightly worried. "We're in a war?"

"With the Paperclippers," Sam nodded. "Not all wars need declarations, Seth."

" _I_ was always taught that wars needed to be declared," Seth said quietly.

"Werewolf wars are an exception," Sam said. "Anyway, we can't be sure if they're still a threat. Likewise, we can't end patrols until we know for sure."

"And when will we know for sure, exactly?" Leah prodded. Sam shrugged.

"If there aren't any major incidents within the week then we'll call it," Sam offered. "Meet with the Cullens to confirm, and then that'll be it."

"So seven days?" Seth said hopefully. Sam wasn't so sure, knowing it was more complicated than they were making it seem, but it was hard to tell Seth Clearwater no to anything when he was so excited by it. Sam nodded.

"Seven days," he promised. "If there are no major incidents," he clarified to have peace of mind.

"What qualifies as a major incident?" Seth asked curiously.

"Seeing one at all is pretty major to me," Sam said. "Sensing one without crossing their path directly would be minor."

"Sounds good to me," Seth smiled. "How was midnight patrol?" he added as an icebreaker. Sam was surprised he was showing any interest at all.

"Dark," Sam replied bluntly, "and boring. Same way it always goes. The most interesting part," Sam continued, turning to Leah, "were the rumors I heard from Jared and Quil at the very start. Something about you interrupting patrol?" They both knew he was pretending to not know more than he did, but Sam wanted to hear Leah say it instead of being lead to it.

"Quiet, you," Leah mumbled.

"I shan't," Sam said. "This is the first time you've listened to me on this."

"So much for trying to keep this quiet," Leah muttered. "Just how many people know about this?"

"I reckon the entire pack by now," Sam replied nonchalantly, which horrified Leah.

"Why couldn't we have just kept this a secret?" Leah complained, her tone bordering on a whine. "This is _my_ stupid business, not the pack's."

"Your stupid business _is_ the pack's stupid business," Sam reminded. "Welcome to the Quileute tribe. Privacy is an illusion."

"So I suppose the entire pack is gonna mention it to me?" Leah assumed. "'Good job on pretending to be a fucking wolf for an hour in the middle of the night, Leah! We're all so proud of you!'" Her satirical tone revealed how she truly felt about the situation. What she had somewhat-secretly enjoyed partaking in the previous night only made her feel shameful and embarrassed in retrospect. _I'm not a wolf,_ she told herself repeatedly. _I'm not._

"That's why I plan on getting through it all on the same day," Sam answered, dryly amused that Leah was making a big deal about something the rest of the pack did without thinking twice, with most actually enjoying it. "The pack is going for some celebratory apple kicking. That way the pack will forget about it by tomorrow."

"Celebratory apple kicking?" Leah laughed, as if each word was a hilarious joke. "That sounds square as fuck."

"Agreed," Sam said, laughing slightly. Leah's laughter was still contagious to the normally humorless Alpha. There were certain ties to Leah that no amount of imprinting could get Sam to sever, voluntarily or otherwise. "It's just what the Pack does to celebrate things because we're poor and can't afford to throw a real party every time you actually listen."

Leah stuck her tongue out briefly.

"Fine," she resigned. "I'll partake in your silly little fruit smashing. Where and when?"

"Northern border after your patrol," Sam answered. "Yours ends at 3pm, we made sure of it."

"Whatever you say," Leah nodded, looking away before she could let herself enjoy Sam's company too much. Her eyes landed on her unusually silent brother, remembering that Seth was still in the room. He seemed rather content to not be speaking. "Can I bring Seth, too? He's my apple kicking partner."

"All pack members are welcome," Sam shrugged, though Leah could see through the constant guard and protection of Sam's eyes and voice. He would love for Seth to come. He would have invited him himself. He would have done anything to get Seth to even look at him anymore. He was a champion at not showing it, but Leah saw how strangely yet subtly stressed Sam became to be rejected by Seth in the recent months.

"It's a date," Leah joked, briefly forgetting that it may have been a sensitive subject to joke about. "See you then."

The tone of voice Sam replied in confirmed her suspicions. She knew exactly how he sounded when he was suppressing pain.

"See you then."

『••✎••』

 _That was fun,_ Seth joked. Leah rolled her eyes.

 _Speak for_ yourself, Leah opinionated. _That was the opposite of fun. That was the least fun I've had on patrol in a long time, and that's saying something._

And she meant it. It was her first patrol after her first wolfing, and the Leah-wolf had to rapidly adjust from sudden freedom to facing the obstacle of Leah again. Now that the Leah-wolf knew what it was like to experience the world it lived in uninterrupted, it wanted more, and that would get in the way of patrolling. It was definitely a struggle, and most of the pack could sympathize; they knew precisely what it was like, and there was no cure for it. It was just something the Quileute had learned to deal with. Paul had a few "home remedies" that he claimed would soften their wolves during patrol, but Sam had to go on record several times advising against consuming anything prepared by Paul Lahote. It wasn't much comfort to Leah to be told that nothing would solve it and that she was destined for six long hours of struggling. Seth was of astronomical help to Leah even though he didn't make a single distinct thought about it.

 _Hey-ho,_ a young voice sounded. _Seth?_

 _And Leah,_ Seth confirmed, smiling, though nobody could see it. Seth was more than aware of how nervous Collin and Brady were around pack members older than themselves, which unfortunately for them, was everybody. _Is it 3 o'clock already?_

 _Four minutes to,_ Brady answered, _but close enough, we figured._ Nervousness clung to Brady's thoughts like black on tar.

 _Good enough for me,_ Leah thought, phasing out without another word. She figured Seth would engage in some painfully awkward small talk and she didn't want to be a bystander. Seth was far too friendly for his own good, in Leah's opinion. He would talk to Collin and Brady whenever he got the chance, determined to let them feel included in a pack that was often cold towards them. Leah knew she was part of the problem and her brother the solution, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it. As much as she wanted to help Collin and Brady, she fell victim to the bystander effect.

Leah changed as fast as she could and yet as slow as she wanted to. She heard about celebratory apple kicking for the first time only eight hours before and now she was expected to partake in it. In the pack mind it was obvious that Seth was slightly excited for it, though everything excited him anyway. _Seth gets excited by red Gatorade,_ Leah reminded herself. _His excitement is famously unhelpful._ It still didn't help her decide on what to feel about the event. She wasn't in the mood to see Sam, nor the rest of the pack. She didn't want to be the center of attention, and she knew she _would_ be.

The only thing that motivated her slightly was the likelihood of catching up with a certain werewolf whose newfound friendship she would admit to nobody, not even her brother.

"Lee!"

"Seth," Leah nodded as her brother assumed her right side. "Someone's jittery."

"Am not."

"Am too."

Seth paused.

"Is it obvious?"

"Pretty obvious."

"You look pretty jittery, too," Seth pointed out.

"First of all, you're wrong," Leah defended, "and second of all, if I _am_ , it's because I have no idea what to expect."

"Me neither, but in a good way, y'know?" Seth said. Leah nodded slightly as an excuse to not reply verbally.

The siblings walked in relative silence to the Northern field they were told to meet at. Leah's pace gradually slowed as they approached, the reality of the situation setting in. _They're gonna mention it,_ Leah thought. _You know they will. This whole party is about it._ Leah winced. She didn't want to think about it. She spent the last twelve hours distancing herself from the Leah-wolf and now she was expected to attend a celebration all about it. She was suddenly desperate to not go, but she couldn't turn around without Seth noticing and pressuring her. She could only advance now.

Sam, Jared, Quil, Embry, and Jacob were already gathered by the time Leah and Seth arrived. Jacob's eyes lit up slightly when he noticed Leah, which he turned away to hide, though it didn't go unnoticed. With Collin and Brady on patrol, it meant that only Paul was missing, and Leah would be shocked if Paul even remembered they were doing something. The standards the pack had for Paul were so low that he'd have to dig into the ground to go under them.

"Clearwater clan," Sam nodded. Leah noticed his eyes pause on Seth longer than she thought he anticipated. "You made it."

"What was the alternative?" Leah asked. "I'd much rather have taken the alternative."

"Don't be a buzzkill," Sam chuckled. "We're not here to _hound_ you or anything," he added. Jared gave an exaggerated laugh at the joke.

"What are we doing here, exactly?" Leah asked, somewhat critically. She noticed Seth and Quil hug in the corner of her eye, with Jared and Embry trailing off to follow them. Jacob stood by himself a number of yards away, alone and secluded.

"Three guesses," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "This apple field was abandoned by the farmers a long while ago. Nobody uses it nowadays because it's technically claimed by the government, but the government isn't using it, so this is the official apple field of the Uley pack."

"Good to know we have an apple field at our disposal," Leah commented, looking around. "I'll file that one away."

The sound of an apple rolling harshly across the ground distracted the pair. Both looked over to notice Seth smiling, having kicked his first apple. Sam pointed at him, turning back to Leah.

"He's a quick learner," he said. " _That's_ what we're doing here, more or less."

"I thought you said this would be _celebratory,_ " Leah interrogated. "This doesn't seem so celebratory. What are we even celebrating?"

"Your first wolfing, technically," Sam answered. "It's more of a front. An excuse to get the pack together and do something that doesn't involve murdering leeches or arguing for once."

"Sounds noble," Leah said, slightly loud to rival the sounds of the pack having fun and kicking apples together. It looked to Leah like it had devolved into a game of soccer with an apple as the ball. She was surprised that even with a pathetic ball, unclear teams, and unclear goalposts, the pack still managed to have fun playing it. Sam ran over to join them, leaving Leah alone on the sidelines. Leah was quietly amazed at how she was enjoying herself just _watching_ members of her pack have fun even though she wasn't involved in it.

After thirty seconds of watching teenage boys compete for an apple on the ground, Leah remembered seeing Jacob off to the side, not interacting. She glanced in the direction she remembered seeing him in. He was still there, watching the others, just like Leah was. Shifting her attention, Leah speed-walked up to the young Quileute and stood beside him.

"This is top tier entertainment," Leah said dryly. "I'm so unbelievably enthralled in this right now."

"I wish I could record this," Jacob replied. "I'd fill all five hundred DVR hours with this."

"Somehow I don't think this is gonna last five hundred hours."

"Then I guess I'll have to record it hundreds of times," Jacob smirked. "One for each day of the year."

"Live from the Quileute Pack Apple Field Stadium," Leah quipped. Jacob turned to face her for the first time.

"This is _our_ stadium?" Jacob asked. "Since when?"

"Since Sam declared it," Leah answered, her eyes still on her brother. "He said it was the official apple field of the Uley pack."

"Where are all the _unofficial_ apple fields of the Uley pack?"

"They're Areas 1 through 50," Leah answered. "Nobody can know the true number of apple fields we claim."

A silence settled on the pair. It was a comfortable silence that Leah could only enjoy with Jacob Black, and maybe Seth. She didn't quite understand why Jacob was the special exception to her. A few weeks ago she could hardly look at him; he was another Paul as far as she was concerned. Now Jacob could get away with murder around her and she'd probably help him hide the body. It was one of the last moments of peace Leah could remember before a loud and boisterous pack brother suspended her peace indefinitely.

 _"Guys!"_ Paul yelled, close to sprinting. Nobody had ever seen Paul so quick-speaking and serious. _"Guys! Sam! Pack!_ Whoever'll listen!"

"Fuck, Paul, what is it?" Jared yelled over his shoulder, somewhat annoyed. The pack was used to their temperamental pack brother being loud and dramatic, but it wasn't until Jared turned around that he noticed that Paul was genuinely shaken about something. Nothing ever even _surprised_ Paul. "Shit, are you okay?"

"Me?" Paul asked, shaking his head as if the detail was unimportant. "I'm fine. I got news."

"It can wait, are you _sure_ you're fine?" Jared asked. Even though to most pack members Paul was tiresome and irritating, the invisible pack connection tying each pack member to the other couldn't be overcome. It didn't matter if they didn't get along. Seeing a pack member in distress causes distress.

"I'm _fine,_ dude," Paul assured, still speaking fast. "Where's Sam?"

"Right in front of you," Sam answered. "Tell me what's up. And don't drag it out like you usually do."

"Well, the thing is, I was passing through Ocean Front to get here and I -"

"The short version, Paul," Sam ordered impatiently.

"Don't rush me!" Paul said harshly. "I was getting to it!"

"Spit it out, don't make this a production."

"Bella's back."

Silence spread through the air like a disease. Nobody was properly prepared for what he said. Jacob froze in place, while the remaining pack members dared not say a word. The only noises were the birds and Paul's loud and fast breathing, with the Native American having sprinted there. The pack looked around at each other, silently conveying whether or not they intended on talking. After a quiet six seconds, Embry laughed.

"That's what had you so worked up?" Embry chuckled. "I was expecting something more drastic."

"Where'd you hear it?" Sam asked firmly, ignoring Embry's banter, having to step up as Alpha once more.

"I heard it from Billy Black who heard it from Leah's mom who heard it from Bella's dad," Paul answered speedily.

"Fair evidence," Sam nodded. "Did you hear anything else?"

"Not really," Paul replied, kicking an apple. "Just a lot of boring stuff about the council."

"I gotta see her," Jacob said, his voice final and nonnegotiable. "I'll be back soon to tell you what I found out."

"No, Jacob," Sam called out, his tone yet firmer. "Nobody sees her until I do."

"You're not gonna _stop_ me, are you?" Jacob complained aggressively. "I need to see her. Everybody here knows that."

"It can wait an hour or two," Sam said. "You'll live. _I'll_ tell the pack what I found."

"Why you?" Jacob argued. "Why do you get to go? Why can't I go with you?"

"I'm the Alpha, or haven't you heard?"

"I'm your Beta. You need me there as your backup."

"I need you here as my designated survivor. If I get assassinated or whatever, you'll be far away and safe."

"But -"

 **"Nobody sees her until I do,"** Sam ordered, tired of arguing. Paul laughed, amused to see a pack member other than him get an Alpha command for once. _I know how it feels,_ he added in his mind. Jacob grumbled, walking away and kicking the dirt. "Don't be so dramatic, Jacob."

 _"I'm_ being dramatic?" Jacob yelled. _"You're_ being dramatic!"

"I'm not letting your love for Bella distract from our purpose," Sam said firmly. "Examining her safety."

"I can examine her safety just fine!" Jacob argued.

 **"Quiet,"** Sam ordered again. "You're making yourself look like an idiot."

Jacob walked away angrily, and the rest of the pack was quiet again. They were no stranger to Sam's aggression and harshness when he had to lead the pack. They knew he meant well, but they knew better not to cross him. After it was apparent no werewolf planned on giving input, Sam continued.

"I'll be back in an hour or less," he promised, walking off towards the vague direction of the Cullen house. "If it takes longer, something probably happened."

"Alright," Jared nodded to give Sam any kind of feedback from a pack of werewolves too scared to speak. He was glad Collin and Brady were on patrol because Sam's behavior probably would have terrified them. Without another word, Sam picked up his pace and bound towards the Cullens.

『••✎••』

The Quileute werewolves were gracefully unaware of certain things regular humans would find obvious. They were unaware of how scary and threatening their group looked from afar, unaware of how intimidating they came across as, and they were certainly unaware of how clear it was when they were mad at something. Sam wasn't on the verge of phasing, but his hostile stance and pace as he walked to the Cullens gave away almost everything his eyes didn't.

The only thing stopping Sam from walking straight up the stairs and banging on the door was the smell. He likely would've knocked the door straight off its hinges. Instead, he stopped on the driveway, closer than where the pack usually stood, but far enough for the scent of vampire to be manageable. The scent of werewolf wasn't lost on the coven inside, either, and it wasn't long before the head of the house came out, alone for the first time while the rest of his family tended to the ill Bella.

"Hello," Carlisle greeted enthusiastically, yet nervously. "I can assume why you're here, and I don't think she's taking guests right now."

"She needs to make an exception," Sam said authoritatively. "This is a matter of life and death."

"Are you sure it can't wait just a little while?" Carlisle asked, glancing back to his house every few seconds.

"This could mean a war between our tribes," Sam said. "I consider it pretty time-sensitive."

"Alright, just.." Carlisle started quickly, jumpy to return to his family. "Don't be rough with her? She feels pretty sick."

"Don't worry, I'm gentle," Sam said, quietly and absentmindedly, with both him and Carlisle assuming it wasn't true.

Sam advanced past the vampire, who trailed him back across the lawn. It bothered Carlisle only slightly that Sam was in the lead and assuming control of the situation at his own house. Edward Cullen stopped the pair at the door wordlessly before retreating back into the house, Sam behind him and Carlisle following. Sam followed Edward through the maze of the Cullen house, having never been inside before.

"You've got company," Edward called out in his trademark loud yet unenergetic voice.

"Jake?" Bella's tired voice guessed from the next room, full of hope. Edward shook his head.

"Not quite," he muttered as he turned the corner, Carlisle and Sam close behind.

"Oh," Bella voiced quietly upon recognizing the werewolf in front of her. "Hey."

Sam gave only a small nod as acknowledgement, studying the way Bella looked. She was messy and miserable, and he doubted she could even move. Her hair was close to everywhere and her face was almost entirely white. His werewolf abilities let him know she couldn't breathe that well. He only needed to examine her for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion.

"You look like you're about to die."

"She might be," Alice interjected. Sam tried to hide his surprise that a vampire appeared to be siding with him.

"Why does she look so close to death?" Sam interrogated, facing Carlisle. Edward intercepted his thoughts.

"This isn't a vampire transformation," Edward answered, a slight acid in his tone. "She's just having.." he started, trailing off. "Ailments."

"Ailments?" Sam repeated, not believing what he was hearing. _You're clearly hiding something._ "What kind of ailments?"

"Pregnancy ailments," Alice answered, silencing her family and the Quileute in front of her. Everyone in the room was well and truly shocked at what Alice had revealed. After a few seconds of silence, Alice adopted a look and tone of offense. "What? He would've found out sooner or later. I have no reason to cover you guys on this one."

"You still didn't have to say it _now_ ," Emmett scolded quietly as if the werewolf in the room couldn't hear them. One by one the Cullens nervously checked Sam's expression with their peripheral vision, only to notice his eyes and expression were distant and guarded. Even his thoughts were protected, making it difficult for Edward to decipher much but a few sentences and raw emotion. His unreadable posture made Bella anxious, being the only non-supernatural being in the room. Eventually Sam turned slightly to look at Edward.

"Your doing?" Sam asked, his tone flat.

"That's not your business nor concern," Edward hissed.

"It's both," Sam answered. "This could mean a war, after all. These things aren't taken lightly."

"What do you mean by that?" Bella asked nervously. "A war? What war?"

"The wolves agreed that impregnation was treaty violation," Carlisle answered.

"That's hardly fair," Bella grumbled. "How is that treaty violation?"

"The treaty says -"

 _"The treaty_ says," Bella repeated, rolling her eyes. "Isn't it about time you look past that old treaty?" Bella complained, her exhaustion addressed toward everyone. "You're letting a stupid piece of paper divide your groups just because you've always been told that you're mortal enemies or whatever. You both are more similar than you realize."

"The treaty says what the treaty says," Sam answered distantly. "You've heard our tribal legends. You should know better than anyone else why it will never work between our groups."

"Why should the Quileute care about a baby I may or may not have?"

"Because it's not a matter of _may or may not_. You're clearly pregnant. We have to prepare for worst case scenario."

"It won't _be_ worst case scenario," Bella sighed. She was starting to believe what Jacob had said all those weeks ago. _Sam is difficult._

"Look," Carlisle interrupted. "The Volturi will take a much bigger issue with your baby than the Quileute will. The Volturi will kill you over it, no questions asked."

"Who's to say the dogs won't kill us over it either?" Jasper posed, eyeing Sam suspiciously.

"Why are we ignoring that the baby is gonna kill Bella anyway if we don't do something? Soon?" Alice complained loudly, stopping both sides. Sam eyed her.

"What are the chances of her dying, exactly?" Sam questioned.

"We're not sure," Carlisle admitted. "It's not something I've ever seen develop myself. It's something the Volturi never truly allowed to happen. There was no _ban_ on it, but all vampires knew not to do it or they'd have to answer to Aro, and that's only counting the small sliver of vampires who even knew this was _possible_. It's the first case like this I've ever seen. I can't make any proper predictions because the Volturi wouldn't allow proper research."

"Are the Volturi the gods of your world?" Sam asked. "They seem to come up in every conversation."

"Yeah, pretty much," Carlisle laughed sheepishly. "They're the government of the vampires, so to speak."

"I've only heard terrible things about them," Sam said. "Why do you put up with it? Get a new government. One that doesn't constantly cause problems for you, which then cause problems for _my_ pack and _my_ people."

"The Volturi have an impressive guard," Carlisle warned. "One that could face any army in the world."

"Bullshit, how many of them are there?" Sam asked, stepping forward to burn the energy that suddenly appeared in him. "We can take them on."

"I don't think so," Carlisle said nervously as Jasper smirked slightly. For once, he could appreciate the fire the Quileute Alpha had in him. "They have too many in their guard, too many that stand behind them and too many that support them quietly. For now, we're stuck with them."

Sam nodded slowly and turned to Alice.

"What can you tell about it? The baby?" Sam asked, trying to sound a step gentler, not wanting to deter the only Cullen who appeared to be working with him.

"I can't see anything," Alice said anxiously. "Whatever that _thing_ is, I can't see the future around it."

"Alice doesn't like to be blind," Edward murmured. "And Alice isn't the only one on your side, _dog._ You can count on one hand the number of people in support of her baby."

"Nobody believes that I'll be okay, Sam," Bella answered, hoping that if she can appeal to the Alpha of the pack, the rest of the pack would support her. _Jacob is the Beta. Sam might be difficult, but Jacob is the Beta._ "They think I'm gonna die."

"You _will_ die," Alice argued, as if she could tell the future when she couldn't. "If you don't die during childbirth, which seems very likely already, the Volturi will certainly finish the job, and if that isn't enough, the pack of -" Alice stopped herself before saying something derogatory, realizing the pack was on her side and she would need to work with them. _Just like Victoria._ "The pack at the reservation would do what's left."

"The pack wouldn't kill me over a baby, would they?" Bella asked hopefully, looking pleadingly to Sam, hoping he would defend her.

"If your baby puts the humans of Forks and La Push at risk, we'll do what we have to," Sam refuted. "That's our job. We're protectors."

"I don't feel very protected," Bella complained exasperatedly, offended that Sam would kill her over an infant. "I thought we were friends."

"Nobody's saying _you_ have to die," Sam said. " _You're_ not a danger to the humans of Forks," he explained. _"Not yet, anyway,"_ he added under his breath.

"He's right," Edward agreed, surprising everyone. "They're not mad at you, my love. They're mad at the baby. It could be dangerous to everyone."

"But it's not gonna be as bad as everyone is saying," Bella said. "We don't know if it's even any part vampire."

"We can check," Sam said casually, capturing the attention of the entire Olympic coven, even Rosalie. "Quileute can sense vampires."

"How is that possible?" Carlisle posed, asking the question on the mind of every Cullen. "Surely they need to be born first."

"You'd be surprised," Sam said, stepping forward. "We can tell by sound and smell in about ten seconds. Maybe less. If the baby has vampire venom, we can be sure."

Carlisle eyed his family nervously. The Cullens offered no valuable input. The most he got as a reaction was a small shrug by Emmett.

"I suppose you could do so then," Carlisle said, slowly stepping to the left. Bella held her breath and Edward eyed Sam with suspicion. It didn't take long for Sam to locate the fear and uncertainty in Bella's eyes. _She's afraid of me,_ he realized. Edward didn't confirm nor deny his assumption like he expected him too. He didn't approach immediately, waiting to see if Bella's expression changed. When it didn't, Sam backed off.

"I think it would be less awkward if Jacob did it," Sam said. Bella exhaled slowly. Edward tensed immediately.

"Agreed," she said immediately. "No offense," she added as a quiet afterthought.

"No," Edward spoke up, flocking to Bella and lowering his tone. "We could have Sam do it. We could have _Seth_ do it. Every wolf is just as good at this."

"I have to see him," Bella reminded in a whisper. "I'm not choosing him over you," she continued quietly. "My choice was made the second I saw you. He's just checking the species." Edward evidently wasn't soothed by it. "He's my best friend, Edward. I have to see him."

Edward nodded slowly, putting Bella's happiness before his own.

"Jacob can check the species," Edward allowed. "Is he around?"

"He's back at La Push, yes. I was with him maybe fifteen minutes ago."

"How is he?" Bella asked to Sam. He looked around the room, avoiding her glance, hoping to avoid the question.

"He's doing fine enough," he started cautiously, "but he's desperately lovesick."

Bella slumped, remembering her and Jacob's less-than-perfect parting. She had hoped that simply not thinking about it would make her feel better about it, but all it did was suspend her feelings long enough for them all to explode at once. _He deserves better than me,_ she thought.

"Tell him I'm sorry?" Bella pleaded, briefly not caring if Edward or the rest of the Cullens judged her for it. _I've been terrible to him,_ she justified. _I've forfeited my right to dignity about it._ Sam just shook his head.

"No," he said. "You tell him."

"He doesn't wanna see me," Bella moped, hoping that the Alpha wolf would contradict her.

"You've clearly never met Jacob before," Sam answered. "He can't stay mad at you. It's his biggest weakness."

"You really think he'd be okay with it?" Bella asked hopefully, trusting that Sam knew the inner workings of Jacob's thoughts better than she did.

"I think so," he agreed. "He can check the species before the sun sets if we're quick about it."

"So you can war with us in the dark?" Jasper accused. "You'd like that. You lot can see better in the dark."

"Nothing is final right now," Sam assured. "And we can't see that much better than you can, anyway. This could all blow over for all we know. "

"If the child dies," Bella finished his sentence. Sam nodded uncomfortably.

"I didn't wanna be the one to say it."

"You're suggesting I kill the baby."

"Let's not do this right now," Carlisle mediated frantically, knowing how heated the subject was at the moment. "Nothing is final, just like he said."

"This little test of yours will have to wait," Edward said. "Her immediate safety is more vital right now. We don't know if this will kill her before sunset."

"Don't be dramatic," Rosalie insisted. "You're always so dramatic. The baby will be okay. I'll make sure of it."

"It can wait," Sam agreed, loud enough to stop the bickering, "but it'll have to happen soon if we're to move forward working together."

Carlisle nodded.

"Have you any news on the paperclip coven?"

"Nope," Sam replied. "None alive, none dead. No nothing."

"Interesting," Carlisle said. "We'll keep you in the loop."

"Mhm," Sam agreed. "Have you found anything?"

Carlisle looked to his family for answers. Jasper shook his head harshly, Alice cowered, Esme looked away. Edward looked confused. Bella was hardly paying attention. Carlisle didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was pretty sure he knew who it was. On the other hand, they had nothing concrete and didn't want to risk anything. _Can't tell the truth, can't lie,_ Carlisle calculated. _I'll have to split the difference as best I can._

"Nothing for sure," he said cautiously. "But we're working on something."

"Alright," Sam said, spreading relief among the family. "Keep working on it."

"Anything to keep our families safe."

The silence that bounced off the walls of the Cullen house proved to all the beings in the room that the conversation was over, and yet the tension remained. To the vampires, it looked like the Alpha of a pack of their mortal enemies was coming to wage war on them for something neither group knew was possible. To the wolves, it looked like the vampires were brewing up an uncontrollable monster that would end life as they knew it. Edward growled after scanning Sam's assumptions, but Sam wouldn't dignify it with a reaction.

"There's nothing I can do to prevent Jacob from coming," Sam said quietly. Carlisle nodded. Half of the Cullens doubted him. _Don't you have that repeating voice thing, though?_

"That's okay," Bella said optimistically.

"He's a welcome guest," Esme smiled.

"How's Seth?" Edward asked. Sam stiffened.

"He's alright," was the vague answer.

"Can you carry an apology to Seth?" Edward asked. "For what I said at the wedding? It was irresponsible of me."

"Alright," Sam agreed quietly, turning away from the Cullen clan and walking towards the hallway he remembered led to the only exit. He didn't even want to think about what Edward would need to apologize to Seth for. Whatever it was, he didn't want to know. He would crush Edward's bones another time if it was serious.

"Be safe," Bella called after him.

"Don't die just yet," Jasper added.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam whispered.

"I'll see you soon enough," Carlisle said, patting Sam on the shoulder as a sign of attempted friendship. The lack of sleeves made it hard for Carlisle to avoid burning his hands on the fiery skin of a Quileute werewolf. A small nod from Sam was Carlisle's only acknowledgement as he left, shaking Carlisle's hand off somewhat violently.

A silence floated through the Cullen house. It could've been worse. It wasn't worst case scenario. But it was close.

"That went well," Emmett said, smiling widely.

『••✎••』

"It's been too long."

"You're overthinking this," Quil assured.

"He could've been assassinated."

"Or maybe he's taking his time," Embry offered.

"When have you ever known Sam to take his time?"

"I dunno," Quil shrugged. "I doubt he was _assassinated_ , all the same."

"You don't know everything, Quil."

Quil and Embry collectively sighed. Trying to calm Jacob down was no use. The two had been at it ever since Jacob started acting up about Sam taking too long, starting about four minutes after Sam left. Jacob was set on everything going wrong, and Quil and Embry were the only ones brave enough to try to talk some sense and logic into their lifelong friend. Bella's return had clouded his judgment and his common sense, and Embry was trying to pick up the pieces while Quil stood behind him as backup, simply agreeing with everything Embry said. Quil could hardly be assertive enough to argue with Jacob alone.

The pair were having little success with talking Jacob down. It was a sorrowful reminder to the pack that Jacob was still pseudo-imprinted to Bella in all but name.

"Why isn't Sam back yet?" Jacob complained. "It's been more than an hour. It's been _two_ hours!"

"It's been like twenty-five minutes, bro," Jared mediated in the smoothest voice he could manage. "Y'gotta be more patient. He'll be back."

"Shut up, Jared," Jacob grumbled, kicking an apple so hard it exploded on the spot. Bits and pieces of apple were ejected in every direction, though not high enough off the ground to hit anyone. It showed the pack what they were dealing with. It was no longer a matter of keeping Jacob calm because he would be less annoying, but rather because uncontrollable phasing was looking pretty likely. Jacob's hands shook slightly, barely noticeable steam coming off them.

The entire display was only slightly humorous to Leah. She watched as three of her pack brothers tried to stop their Beta from phasing in between spouts of arguing with him, trumping his rambles with basic logic and common sense. If she didn't know Jacob she probably would've let herself laugh more at the sight. Instead, all she could think about was how much she had grown to like him, even if she could only admit that on a subconscious level. Seth sat a few feet from her, ever silent. His quiet presence only made her feel slightly less alone; no more, no less. Leah was so hyperfocused on Jacob that she hardly noticed Quil walk over to her until after he loudly sat down in front of her.

 _You're a lot of things, Quil, but stealthy definitely isn't one of them,_ she thought.

"What's up?" Quil asked rhetorically, sitting across from her. Leah couldn't help but feel a small ways guilty, seeing that Quil was sitting in the same way he was the night she made him cry on the cliffside. Leah could feel Seth's attention shift from nothing to the Quileute in front of them.

"Not a lot," Leah said. "I'm bored as hell."

"Yeah, that happens," Quil laughed sadly. "Kick one apple and you kick 'em all."

Leah brushed her right hand over the ground, an apple stopping its advance. Growing an idea, she picked it up quickly and held it up to Quil.

"What kind of apple is that?" Leah quizzed. Quil stared at the apple blankly for a few seconds, eventually sighing and giving up.

"I don't know," Quil admitted, giving a fast nervous glance to Jacob. Jared and Embry got him to stop shaking, at the very least. That was a good sign. Leah gave an exaggerated gasp that drew his attention back to her.

"Uh oh," Leah said. "You're gonna be in trouble when Alex Trebek announces 'Apple Varieties of the Northwest' as a category."

"Better study up then," Quil said absentmindedly, glancing back to Jacob again, scratching his hand a little. Leah perked up slightly. _Hand scratching. Side glancing. On-edge movements._

"You're nervous," Leah said. She could hear Seth inch forward slightly, being a magnet to those who weren't feeling right. Quil glanced back to her quickly to hide it.

"Worried about Jake," Quil said quietly, though werewolf hearing would've allowed Jacob to hear it anyway, if he was listening. "Can you talk to him?"

Leah was taken aback.

"Why me?" Leah complained. "Why do I always get stuck dealing with angry pack members?"

"'Cause Sam's not here," Quil answered, "and nobody wants to deal with him. Besides, you're the most equipped."

"May I introduce you to Seth?" Leah groaned. "Jared? He's the calmest one in the pack! What about _you?"_

"I tried," Quil countered. "Jacob isn't having it. Jared's tried. Paul.. was there," he added, remembering how Paul merely laughed at him.

"Jacob looks fine," Leah argued, not even pretending to look in his direction. "He'll be okay. He used to do this everyday when the leech lover was around."

"Could you just try?" Quil pleaded. Leah rolled her eyes. _Everyone in this pack is useless._

"You owe me one," Leah mumbled, standing up and heading over to Jacob.

"Two!" Quil upped, smiling, scooting closer to Seth for company.

Leah wandered over to Jacob surprisingly quickly. Anybody else would have been at least slightly fearful to approach an angry werewolf who three other werewolves tried and failed to calm down. Leah walked right up to him, unafraid, knowing that the Jacob-wolf would be deterred by confidence. _He won't hurt me,_ Leah knew, keeping her calm. _If he even swings at me I'll kill him, straight up._ Jared, noticing her approach, backed off slightly, silently wishing her good luck. Leah reflexively checked the spot on Embry's shoulder where his injury used to be, briefly forgetting that he was healed. Embry backed off too, allowed Leah to deal with Jacob solo.

"Sit still," Leah ordered bluntly.

"No," Jacob shot back, equally blunt. The shaking in his voice in a one syllable word told Leah everything she needed to know about his anger levels and temper.

"Sit still or I'll kick apples at you," Leah rolled her eyes, having none of Jacob's attitude. Jacob didn't move. "I'm not kidding around, Jacob. You're being ridiculous."

"Fine," Jacob grumbled, sitting on the ground. "But only because I don't like apples."

Embry walked away from the group, annoyed, with Jared following. What he had failed to do for five minutes Leah accomplished in fifteen seconds, and all she had to do was threaten him. Jared chuckled as he trailed Embry to where Paul was standing, attempting to climb a tree; the universal pack pastime. Leah sat next to Jacob, not sure what to do, lacking further instructions from Quil.

"Where's Sam?" Jacob complained, speaking to no one. "He's been gone for six millennia."

"Who knew six thousand years could pass in a half hour," Leah rolled her eyes. "Sam's still got time."

Jacob had no response.

"Your hand is shaking."

"Good observation, Clearwater," Jacob grumbled. "You should be a detective."

"Detectives don't make enough money to make it worth my time."

"How much is your time worth, exactly?" Jacob posed, his hand stilling without him noticing. "Maybe I can buy some time from you."

"However much a Coke costs," Leah figured. "A soda an hour is just about how much is worth it to me."

"I'm almost confident detectives make more than two bucks an hour," Jacob smirked. Embry sighed from afar, jealous that Leah got a smile and Embry got an insult.

"Well shit," Leah said. "Where's the detective recruiter? I'd much prefer the detective recruiter to the Marine recruiter."

"He bothers you too?" Jacob asked curiously, laughing lightly, turning to Leah. "I thought he only solicited men."

"He solicits _everyone_ who looks like they're a teenager and made of human," Leah answered, laughing. "It's why I hate the corner store. It's like every week he asks if I've considered joining the armed forces or somethin'. I must have a cupboard full of his business cards at home."

Jacob laughed, the pair eventually settling into silence. Jacob struggled to remind himself what he was so mad about only two minutes before. It was strange to Jacob how much he detested Leah for such minuscule reasons weeks before. She was the only female shifter on record, but much of the pack had learned to see it as a neutral thing more than a negative, Jacob included. _Friendship finds a way,_ Jacob remembered Quil saying a few months earlier. _It always does._

"Sam!" Paul yelled, near sprinting towards the edge of the apple field. Paul's distinctively loud voice caught the attention of every other pack member immediately, all of whom sprung up and ran in the direction of Paul even without seeing Sam.

"Easy, Lahote," Sam admonished. "You're gonna kill someone someday if you keep doing that."

"What's going on?" Jacob asked loudly, pushing to the front of the pack to stand the closest to Sam. Nobody was quite sure if it was a Beta-wolf thing or if Jacob was simply hyper-interested in what Sam had learned. The rest of the pack listen attentively, but nobody's interest could properly match Jacob's.

"Bella is alive," Sam said. Each member of the pack absorbed the news differently. Jacob eyed Sam expectantly.

"Is that it?" Jacob prodded.

"She's expecting," Sam continued, slowly. Jacob stared vacantly at his Alpha.

"Expecting what?" Jacob asked, not believing what he was hearing and not ready to accept it. His calm tone betrayed how he truly felt about the matter. "Expecting _what,_ Sam?"

"Expecting a _baby,_ idiot," Paul said, his hands shaking violently. "If Sam is telling the truth, that is."

"He's right," Sam admitted, looking at each pack member individually and carefully. "Bella is pregnant."

Jared pushed Paul several feet away, knowing what was coming. Paul phased on the spot out of anger, which plunged the pack into chaos. Sam and Jacob was the only motionless werewolves, with every other one without fail either inconsolably angry or frantically trying to calm other pack members down. Jared and Embry quickly jumped to cover Paul, shouting over the other pack members. Shouting turned to more shouting until eventually it became too loud to tell who was saying what.

Paul growled. Jared yelled something incomprehensible.

Leah yelled something about Bella. Nobody could hear it.

Quil hyperventilated.

Jared yelled something at Paul. Embry couldn't hear it.

Paul swung at the air. Jared had to duck.

Only three seconds had passed.

Brady could hear the arguing two miles away. Collin couldn't stop his friend from crying.

Jacob fell on the ground.

Leah struggled to help him up.

Seth was desperately afraid.

Six seconds had passed.

Paul advanced to Jared.

Quil thought he was having an anxiety attack, but couldn't be sure.

Paul swung at the air again.

Someone yelled about Bella. It went unheard.

Eight seconds had passed.

Sam had had enough.

_**"Everyone stop!"** _

The command was only loud enough to be registered by the pack, quieting them immediately. Paul backed down involuntarily and the yelling stopped. Leah helped Jacob to his feet. Seth and Quil eyed each other nervously. _It's okay,_ they seemed to tell each other, an imaginary pack mind connecting them. Quil's breathing slowed and Seth's nerves settled. Collin and Brady were unaffected as Brady stopped his circuit, falling on the forest floor and crying in fear. Collin struggled to find him. Everyone was too afraid to check on their likely enraged Alpha.

"I'm _not_ letting this issue tear our pack apart," Sam asserted in a volume only one notch below shouting. "You're _better_ than this. All of you, you're _better_ than this."

The pack looked at the ground uneasily. Getting disciplined by their leader was one thing, but it was much worse to be reminded that Sam had thought better of them.

"All due respect, Sam," Jacob started. Sam raised a hand.

 **"Don't,"** Sam ordered. "Just don't. Don't make this worse."

Jacob grumbled and looked at the ground. Sam looked to Paul.

"I thought better of you too, Paul," Sam said. "Work on your temper."

Paul grunted and walked away, not able to withstand Sam's angered glance any longer. Jacob tried his hand at speaking up again.

"You said nobody sees her until you do," Jacob reminded, quiet enough to not enrage Sam by sounding even slightly like arguing. "You saw her. Now I have to."

Sam offered nothing constructive, silent and unblinking, as the pack looked on, silent. As much as Sam hated it, his use of Alpha commands to silence an angry group in a millisecond only served as a reminder to the pack members the control their Alpha had. It made them afraid of him again, and Sam couldn't stand being feared by his pack brothers. Even Jacob, the rightful Alpha, looked on in slight fear as he slowly walked past. After a few feet, Jacob turned back to Sam.

"You're not even gonna _try_ to stop me?" Jacob asked, slightly confused. Sam sighed, his energy levels resting in the negatives.

"No force on Earth can stop you," Sam decided, nodding slightly towards the Cullen estate. "Be safe. And don't hurt anyone until we figure this out."

"Thanks, Sam," Jacob smiled, thanking Sam for his lenience, taking a few steps towards the Cullens that turned into a light jog.

"And Jacob?"

Jacob turned back to Sam, curious and a little uneasy.

"If I find out you went rogue and did something stupid, so help me, they'll never even find what's left of you," Sam threatened in an even tone, warning against doing anything without the pack's okay. Jacob knew he meant it. The pack knew he meant it. Sam wasn't sure he meant it but he needed to frighten Jacob into staying in line regardless.

Jacob's smirk widened, turning into a light laugh.

"Best Alpha ever," he called over his shoulder as he ran into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to PyreFly77, my writing bestie, for not only helping me throughout this dry writing process, but also for writing his longest work yet over the course of 6 months, and came out with something he's very happy with. Good on you, and keep being you. Sidenote, I really enjoyed writing for Sam this chapter, so apologies if I'm trailing away from canon-Sam, but in my defense, canon-Sam is kinda ruined by Stephenie Meyer halfway through Breaking Dawn anyway.


	19. Opportunity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's for all those Bella Swan/Cullen fans out there. Fun fact, I've had lines of dialogue for this chapter planned out ever since writing "Yours Truly," and that was the third chapter of all time! Needless to say, I'm rather excited.

It had been a long time since Jacob Black ran that fast. He considered phasing to make the run faster.

He was motivated almost entirely by adrenaline. Jacob had been separated from the only girl he had ever loved for what he had considered far too long, and the only thing stopping him from seeing her now was how fast he could run. He pushed himself to run faster. The simple idea of Bella's company made him forget the sourness of their last interaction, the night of the wedding. He hoped Bella did, too. He knew she probably didn't, but there was always a small fire of hope in Jacob Black at all times that could never truly be watered down, no matter how much the world tried to weigh down his spirit.

Jacob continued to leap through the woods, pushing branches and bushes out of his way. Nothing short of an Alpha command could keep Jacob from Bella, and maybe not even that would be enough. Before a few minutes ago, it wasn't out of the question to Jacob that Bella might not have survived. Her word choice the night of the wedding still echoed in his mind. _I can have a real honeymoon. I can do anything I want._ He hoped he had talked her out of her fantasies of a _real honeymoon._ The only thing stopping him from finding out was the distance. Jacob pushed himself to run faster, flying through the woods at speeds that rivaled that of his own wolf.

As the Cullen estate grew closer, he purposefully slowed down, trying to appear calmer than he was. He figured that Jasper would reveal his feelings anyway, but it was worth a shot to appear nonchalant, calm and collected instead of panicked and out of breath. That was the last thing Bella needed to see.

Carlisle was ready to intercept him as Jacob crossed the lawn.

"Hello, Jacob," Carlisle said nervously, giving a false smile. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."

"Likewise," Jacob lied quietly, not even bothering to look Carlisle in the eye while talking, instead trying to peer through the windows.

"Did Sam send you to check the species?" Carlisle asked, glancing back to his house anxiously. Jacob flinched.

"Check the what now?" Jacob stuttered.

"The species," Carlisle said. "Bella's baby."

Jacob's heart sank a ways to hear someone else confirm Bella's pregnancy, hoping that Sam had got the details wrong somehow.

"I don't think checking the species of unborn demons is something werewolves can really do," Jacob mumbled, his mind desperately occupied by Bella instead of on holding a conversation with the head of the Cullen clan. Carlisle frowned, wondering if Sam was lying.

"Sam was more confident in the abilities of the Quileute."

"You'll find that Sam can be extremely misguides at times," Jacob answered. "Can I come in? Nobody sent me. I just wanna see Bella."

Carlisle nodded slowly before stepping aside, allowing Jacob to take the lead as he sped past Carlisle and into the house, with the vampire close behind. Jacob coughed twice after entering the estate, the prospect of seeing Bella briefly suspending his common sense. _Vampires smell like bleach,_ the logical part of his brain reminded him. _Try not to breathe too hard._ Jacob navigated his way into the main room, noticing that most of the family seemed to be gathered there. They all regarded him intensely. Emmett and Jasper's piercing glares had nothing on Edward's. Rosalie refused to even look in his direction. Only Esme's glance was compassionate.

Jacob had little time to process what the other Cullens were doing before noticing Bella on the couch, looking sick as a dog.

"Bella," Jacob whispered. Bella turned to face him, securing eye contact with the boy she loved more than she should, and yet nowhere near enough.

"Jake," she supplied back weakly. "You came."

"Yeah, thank me later," Jacob smirked. "You look terrible."

"Yeah, it's good to see you too," Bella managed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Jacob replied. Edward was visibly uncomfortable.

"It's so good to see you, Jacob," Edward said in a flat tone. Jacob chuckled, knowing it was a lie and merely a formality. He didn't bother saying it back.

"Alright, let's cut this gross stuff before I vomit," Jasper interrupted. "Your glorious leader was insistent that you could check for her baby's species."

"He was insistent," Jacob nodded. "I don't think he's right. The Quileute aren't magic."

"I thought your dad said they were," Bella commented quietly, her tone of voice hinting that it was a shared secret between her and Jacob. The prospect that Bella and Jacob had their own friendship and things that Edward would never have and could never be bothered him, but he couldn't complain. He could tell how much she needed him.

"Only a little bit of magic," Jacob offered. "Not enough to test for something like this."

"How can you be sure?" Carlisle posed. "Sam was very confident."

"Sam isn't exactly the poster child for rational thinking," Jacob supplied, evidently distracted by Bella. It was Esme who spoke up.

"I think this conversation can wait a few minutes," Esme said. "Can we have a family meeting in the kitchen?"

"Surely," Carlisle said, picking up the hint. The rest of the Cullens cleared the room slowly, shuffling towards the kitchen. Most of them did it out of respect for Bella; they could care less for the werewolf in their family room. Edward lingered by Bella for a few extra seconds, kissing her on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon, my love," Edward promised before receding into the kitchen, leaving the only non-vampires in the family room together.

"How've you been?" Jacob asked, slowly advancing towards Bella.

"The usual," she offered weakly, meeting his eyes. She had forgotten just how much she owed Jacob Black for her own sanity, and how much she still needed him.

"That's never good," Jacob chuckled. "What is your _usual?_ Getting chased by monsters and hanging out with bloodsuckers?"

"Something like that," Bella replied, too tired to argue. She had also forgotten just how difficult Jacob Black could be on a regular basis.

"How are you _really?"_ Jacob asked, his tone suddenly serious. Bella sighed, reminded for the millionth time that she was the worst liar to ever graze the planet.

"Despite the appearances," Bella started, "I feel fine. Absolutely fine."

"Somehow I think you're lying," Jacob said quietly. "You don't _look_ fine."

"You're not worried, are you?" Bella posed.

"Of course I'm worried, Bells," Jacob whined. "This is a very dumb thing you're doing."

Bella frowned.

"Come on, don't give me that," Jacob sighed. "You have to admit this is at least a _little_ outrageous. Can we agree on that, at least?"

"We don't have to agree on _anything_ , Jake," Bella said, growing more annoyed by the second. _Why does he have to be so difficult all the time?_

"I told you this would happen," Jacob said quietly. "I told you _exactly this_ would happen. If you just listened to me for once, we probably wouldn't be in this situation right now."

" _We?"_ Bella repeated. "Is this about _we_ now? If you were really on my side with this, you'd be more supportive. I wanted this, Jacob. This doesn't involve you."

Jacob was quiet. She expected him to argue, and yet, he didn't. Bella tried to turn over or look the other way, but she couldn't escape the solemn silence she caused. And in an instant, her annoyance converted to guilt. She had always told herself how strong and stable Jacob had been for her during her long and painful depressive episode, but it was easy to forget that he wasn't always as strong as she thought. _People who love you give you the power to break them,_ Bella reminded herself sadly.

The quietness persisted. Bella sighed, wishing things weren't so complicated between her and her closest friend.

"Jake," she started slowly. "I didn't mean it like that."

Jacob remained silent.

"I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry."

The silence continued.

"Please don't do this," Bella begged. "I.. I know this is a hard thing to ask you to support. I shouldn't have done it."

"This could kill you," Jacob said, quiet and solemn. "You know it can. I think it will. It hurts that you're not taking it seriously."

"I'm gonna live," Bella said firmly and confidently. "I'll survive. I've got you, after all," she added, knowing precisely what Jacob needed to hear.

"I'm not enough," Jacob replied. "I can't help you. Not on this one."

"Of course you can," Bella assured. "Just being here is enough. I'm stronger than I've been in days. And it's thanks to you."

Jacob ignored the sound of Edward grumbling from the other room. He doubted that Bella was right. _Surely she's lying._

"I don't think you'll live through this," Jacob whined quietly. "Not even Doctor Fang knows what this is. That isn't a good sign."

"Have a little hope," Bella urged.

"That's hard, all things considered."

"I'll be okay."

Jacob had learned not to try to reason with Bella. She was hopelessly stubborn, and nobody could convince her to do anything she didn't agree to. Jacob was confident that Bella would die, but she didn't want to hear it. There was nothing left to say. Bella wouldn't change her opinion; it was already carved in stone.

"Did Sam give you a hard time?" Jacob finally asked quietly.

"Not a harder time than he usually gives me."

"He was flaming mad about your baby, just so you know."

"I'm aware," Bella winced. Sam was quite possibly the last Quileute she wanted to anger. He was the one who controlled the entire pack, including her best friend. She had seen him angry before, and she considered herself lucky it wasn't directed at her. "He doesn't get flaming mad a lot."

"If your baby lives, he'll want to see it dead," Jacob reminded. "He'll definitely try. You know how he is."

"I trust you to stop him," Bella said, assuming Jacob was on her side. "You're the only one who can."

"He's still the Alpha," Jacob said. "I can't stop him. I have to _reason_ with him. Reasoning with Sam Uley is hard enough, but it'll become a hundred times harder if your baby turns out to be part vampire. Sam is married to the treaty, and I'm confident that whatever _this_ is is against the treaty."

"You're his Beta. He'll listen to you," Bella offered, her hope fading slightly.

"Not on this," Jacob foresaw. "If I question his judgment on a matter like this, I could lose my position. Or free will. One or the other."

"You're his friend," Bella grasped, desperate for something to convince herself that the Alpha at La Push wouldn't target her child. "He'll listen to his friend, right?"

"Not on pack matters," Jacob said. "Pack matters are pack matters. Alpha beats Beta and Alpha beats friend. There is no way you can win in this scenario."

"That's not true!" Bella cried before lowering her voice at the risk of alerting her overprotective husband, who was already ready to jump into the room. "He'll live," Bella promised. "He'll live, and I'll live to deliver him. We'll be okay. All of us."

 _"He'll?"_ Jacob asked incredulously. "You can tell the gender that early?"

"Well, not technically," Bella looked away. "It's more like a feeling. Intuition."

"Shoulda brought some blue balloons," Jacob mused. Bella smiled. _My Jacob has his moments._ "Feelings still aren't a strong basis."

"It's a boy, I can feel it," Bella insisted. "It's a boy and he'll live and he won't be harmful and Sam will love him and he'll be a part of the Cullen family and we'll all live in harmony," Bella sped out in one sentence, only slowing down after seeing Jacob flinch at the word _family._ Bella sighed. "Sorry. Touchy subject, I know."

"It's fine," Jacob managed sourly, getting up and pacing in a circle slowly.

"Don't be like that," Bella begged, attempting to reason with the Native teen. Spending so many weeks away from Jacob before her wedding followed by two weeks in Isle Esme made her forget all the methods she used to use to calm Jacob down. _I have to give it a try._ "The Cullens are my family now. By marriage. That's.. what I was referring to," she finished nervously.

"What about Charlie?" Jacob asked, defensive.

"I'll miss him," Bella sighed. "There's nothing more I can do for him."

"He'll be crushed. You're his only daughter," Jacob argued. "Haven't you put him through enough by now?"

"I don't know what else I can do for him," Bella whispered. "He still has your father. And the Quileute."

"Do you even still care about the Quileute?" Jacob asked bitterly. "You've chosen your side. You have your _new family_ now. What does that make _us?_ The monsters that weren't good enough?"

"It makes you my very best friends in the whole world," Bella replied. Her voice sounded genuine, but Jacob still doubted her.

"Now you're just doing damage control," Jacob mumbled, turning away from Bella and staring at the ground on the other side of the room. He could hear the vampires in the other room very quietly making awkward small talk, very clearly listening to every word being said in the room. It didn't make him feel any more comfortable.

"I mean it," Bella insisted, rendering the pair silent. Jacob still wouldn't look at her. "I _mean_ it," she whispered.

"Do you really?"

"I do," Bella nodded, hoping her best friend would finally believe her. She couldn't tell if Jacob was still unconvinced or if he was purposefully hiding how he felt about the matter. Bella could tell that no matter what, she needed more. "You were there for me when I needed it," she started. "Not just you, but all of you guys. You.. gave me somewhere I felt like I belonged," she continued, stumbling to find good things to say about the wolves even after her allegiance was clear. "You were all nice to me. You guys protected me when you didn't have to, and when I maybe didn't deserve it," she pressed on. Jacob had yet to reply. "Are you listening?"

"I'm listening," he answered, turning around to meet her eyes.

"I know it might seem like I'm lying, or trying to manipulate you. But I promise that I'm more thankful for the wolves than I can properly say," Bella continued. "You're not bad people. I wish I could help the Cullens see that. I'll try to visit more.. I miss the wolves. I promise that no matter what, the Quileute will always be one of my everythings."

"One of your what?" Jacob asked, confused. "One of your _everythings?_ How many _everythings_ do you have?"

"A few," Bella admitted. "At least a couple. But I promise that my favorite big idiot wolf-boys are one of them. You're my best friends, and you're the closest, Jacob."

"I don't think you mean that."

"Look at me," Bella asked. "I _promise._ "

Jacob was quiet. He was only vaguely aware of the sound of Edward mumbling in the kitchen to his family about how Bella can't truly mean anything she said. Jacob thought on everything. _She sounded genuine,_ he pieced together. _We've been through a lot. That's gotta count for something._

"I accept," Jacob smirked.

"Thank you, Jake," Bella smiled back.

There was a finite amount of Bella and Jacob's close friendship that Edward could stomach. Even though he knew Bella's choice was made and their wedding ring solidified it, hearing Bella praise his worst enemies for being her closest friends was too much for him. He murmured something to Esme, and his adoptive mother nodded back. She entered the family room quietly, knocking on the wall upon entry.

"How are we doing in here?" Esme asked lovingly.

"Better than I could've imagined," Bella smiled back as the rest of the Cullen family slowly entered the room. Jacob turned to the entering vampires, knowing his moment with Bella was over and that he had to shift back into thinking about pack matters. Surely Jasper had some questions for him, Jacob assumed.

"Thank you for visiting, Jacob," Carlisle said. "You seem to have raised Bella's spirits exponentially."

"That's what I do best," Jacob replied. Edward grumbled.

"So," Carlisle started nervously. "About the baby."

"What about the baby?" Jacob asked, his mood dropping. He didn't want to think about the baby anymore. For him, today was already bad enough.

"Can you check the species?" Carlisle asked. "See if it's any part vampire? Hopefully there will be no conflict between our groups regardless?"

"I don't think sensing unborn vampires something werewolves can do," Jacob answered. "Her baby is hardly two weeks old. It's too young. End of."

"Sam was insistent that if there's any vampire venom in the fetus, than the Quileute can sense it," Carlisle reminded. "He sounded like he knew what he was talking about."

"Does vampire venom develop in the womb?" Jacob posed. "I'm not sure it does. That doesn't seem possible."

"I'm not sure if there's venom," Carlisle admitted. "This is a unique case, as far as I know. If the cells are vampiric, I take it the venom will follow shortly."

"Werewolves can't sense venom on a cell-by-cell basis," Jacob laughed, as if the notion was stupid. "The Quileute are good, but we aren't _that_ good _._ "

"Your Alpha was wrong, then," Jasper interjected. "He promised that you could determine the species. He even nominated you specifically."

"Do you want me to tell him that he's an idiot for you?" Jacob deadpanned. "Sam was wrong. He's wrong pretty often."

"Why don't you elect an Alpha with half a brain then, dog?" Jasper spat. "I'm not a huge fan of Black Wolf anyway. He never works with us."

"It doesn't _work_ like that, bloodsucker," Jacob argued angrily. "It's about bloodline. Heredity. Who your ancestors are."

"Aren't you the rightful Alpha though, Jacob?" Bella brought up. Jacob exhaled. _The one thing I didn't want her to mention,_ he thought resignedly. He suddenly had a room full of curious vampires to answer to, and he wasn't looking forward to relaying the information.

"Yeah," Jacob sighed. "Technically, on paper, according to old Quileute tribal laws, I'm the rightful Alpha. Ephraim Black was the Alpha and Levi Uley wasn't," Jacob explained, before quickly adding a disclaimer. "But I don't want Alpha! It's a lot of work and a lot of pressure and it makes Sam miserable. He's doing a good job. Lay offa him."

"He's clearly not doing a very good job, though," Jasper argued. "He lied in front of all of us about the Quileute's abilities. That's grounds for perjury, no?"

"I'm sorry, is Sam on fuckin' trial?"

"Let's not argue in the house," Carlisle mediated, his voice strained. It must have been every other day he needed to stop a physical fight between vampire and werewolf. "This is a safe space," he declared, quieting the room. "If Sam was wrong, and there's no way to tell the species until after the birth, what will the pack's next move be? Do they seek aggression with my family?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Jacob answered coolly. His werewolf abilities allowed him to sense the tension in the room triple after he finished his sentence. Bella winced, knowing that she was at the core of the trouble. "Or it's _conditional,_ rather. Most of the pack hates the idea of a demon baby. No demon baby, no aggression."

"I'm not getting rid of it," Bella declared confidently, sourly eyeing Jacob, followed by every Cullen who had spoken against her pregnancy. "That's final."

"So let's assume the child will be born," Carlisle nodded. "What will the pack do once they're born? I hope not a war," Carlisle said. Jacob shrugged.

"Depends on how nice Sam feels that day, I guess," Jacob estimated. "He'd probably want to see it dead, though. And the pack is with him, me included."

"Are there any wolves that are against him?" Emmett asked, genuinely curious. As much as the vampires despised them, the dynamics of the pack intrigued them infinitely.

"They're mostly irrelevant when it comes to this," Jacob said, not wanting to give the Cullens a roster of werewolves they could turn against the pack. "This is too important a matter to leave to the democratic wolf seminar. If Sam wants it dead, he'll get his way. He's the Alpha."

"And I suppose that means something to you people?" Jasper raised an eyebrow. "He's one dog. The pack must be ten strong. The rest of you could kick his ass if you got together."

"Ever heard of injunctions, parasite?" Jacob shot back.

"Not now," Carlisle begged. "Alpha commands, I assume you mean by injunction?"

"Pack-friendly term for them, yeah," Jacob coughed, the scent of vampire finally making him slightly nauseous. "Makes us feel better about losing our free will when we use _injunction_ instead of _command._ "

"You mean to say that Sam would force the pack to kill the baby?" Carlisle asked, slightly shocked, thinking he knew Sam better than that. "He wouldn't."

"He would, if he thought it was the right thing to do," Jacob nodded. The rest of the Cullens were thoroughly surprised. Even Bella questioned it. _Sam's aggressive, but he's not unhinged,_ she defended, still holding onto hope for her child's life. Carlisle nodded in understanding. Nobody knew what to say. The possibility of a supernatural war didn't seem any less likely. "Still, though, testing for the baby's species? Out of a Quileute's reach. I sensed nothing and I was right next to Bells."

The Cullen family nodded again, half of whom were thankful that the Quileute could no longer start a war and the other half disappointed that there wouldn't be any excitement.

"In hindsight, yes, will you please tell your Alpha that he's an idiot on behalf of the Cullens?" Jasper requested. Jacob smiled back and nodded. Carlisle looked away.

"Surely," Jacob replied and turned to leave, the scent of vampire becoming too much for him to handle.

"Come back soon," Bella called out. Jacob looked back at her.

"Of course," he smirked. "You did it for me. I'll do it for you."

Bella's warm smile and Edward's cold stare were the last things Jacob saw as he fled the Cullen house.

He wasn't sure which one made him happier to see.

『••✎••』

The apple field grew more and more dreadfully boring to Leah with every passing minute.

With the close-to-nuclear argument over Bella's unborn child being as loud as it was, there was no doubt to the pack members that Collin and Brady heard it from their patrol. A few minutes after Jacob left, Sam ordered Jared and Paul to check on the pair and make sure they were still patrolling and didn't run away in fear or run towards the apple field in an attempt to break up a fight. Whatever the case, Sam figured Jared and Paul would have to deal with it. _Paul has to learn to get along with Collin and Brady, anyway,_ Sam figured. With them gone, only Sam, Embry, Quil, Seth, and Leah remained in the apple field, and Leah was desperately bored.

"How long has Jacob been gone?" Embry asked nobody in particular. "It feels like a while."

"It's been maybe twenty minutes," Quil answered. "Probably less, actually."

"If you say so," Embry mumbled, pacing slowly in a circle. "Feels like longer."

"Feelings aren't always reality. Jake'll be fine, you know how he is. He's smart."

"Not when it comes to Bella. He's dumb as a rock when it comes to Bella."

"He'll come back," Quil offered. "It'll just take some more time. Just watch."

And then it was quiet again. The silence bothered Leah more than listening to her dumb pack brothers talk was. She turned to Seth, hoping he would offer her something, _anything,_ better than eavesdropping on the other pack members argue about Jacob Black. Seth offered nothing. Leah wasn't sure he was even paying attention. Despite having the best hearing and a strong affection towards werewolf culture that Leah could never understand, he had a tendency to daydream. Leah turned back to Quil. Nothing interesting was happening with Quil, either. She sighed, wondering if anyone would be upset or offended if she just got up and left.

"It's been forty-five minutes," Embry whined. "Jacob should be back by now."

"You sound like Jacob," Quil laughed. "It's been like a half hour. Y'gotta be more patient."

Embry didn't argue back. A grumble was his only reply. Leah rolled her eyes. The pack was far too immature for her. Embry was so impatient that he lost track of time, and he was imitating Jacob's earlier behavior, which Leah only stopped by threatening to kick apples at him. She wasn't about to do the same for Embry. To Leah, Embry was older and should know better. And yet, Leah couldn't describe the feeling of pack community and brotherhood by the people she claimed to be so appalled by. If it was her choice, she would ditch the feeling of pack connection; the instinctual binding of each pack member to the other. Unfortunately for Leah, the choice wasn't hers to make.

"Jacob," Sam's distinct voice called out in a voice precisely between speaking and yelling. "You're back."

"Thanks for noticing," Jacob replied, capturing the attention of every pack member. "I'm surprised you're all still here."

"Nowhere else to go," Quil shrugged. Embry unsuccessfully tried to hide the anxiety he displayed just a few minutes prior.

"I assumed you would return," Sam reasoned. "I might as well have stayed. What did you find out?"

"I wasn't there to _find out_ anything, Sam," Jacob said, his annoyance showing. "I was there to see Bella. I have my own life outside of the pack."

"All due respect, the pack _is_ your life," Sam said. Jacob was taken aback, expecting any answer but that. "That's just how the pack is. Everything you know about everything changed the day you phased for the first time. Ever since, your life outside of the pack is merely an illusion."

"You're wrong," Jacob said. "Just because the pack is _your_ whole life doesn't mean it's _mine_ ," he continued. Nobody replied. The silence caught Jacob off guard, and he looked around at his other pack members. Embry and Quil looked shocked and Leah looked ready to punch him. Seth was upset and struggled not to show it, especially not in front of his sister or his idol. Jacob didn't dare look at Sam. "Alright, I shouldn't have said that."

"No kidding," Leah bit. "You're such a jackass."

"I'm sorry," Jacob managed. "I shouldn't have said it."

"Do you have any idea how much this pack means to some of them? Just because you have a massive crush on a married girl and you think you're over us or whatever doesn't mean tha-"

 **"Stop the arguing,"** Sam ordered. "Why must this pack argue so much?"

Jacob and Leah couldn't reply through the command. Embry and Quil were too afraid to remind anyone that they were still there. Seth looked at the group, pretending he wasn't listening. They were used to Sam's anger, but the werewolf psychology made sure they felt guilty for angering their Alpha even if they disagreed with what he was saying. Sam quietly retracted the order, hoping that Jacob or Leah would fill the silence so that he didn't have to.

"I didn't mean it like that," Jacob said. "I meant that.. I don't know. Not everything I do is about pack affairs. I guess you have less of a choice because you're the Alpha and I didn't consider that," he offered, stumbling through a defense. He knew he only said it out of brief anger for Sam demanding information, and he assumed Sam wouldn't accept it as an excuse and he struggled to make something else up on the spot. Sam raised a hand to cut off his attempt.

"Look, Black, I don't care if you think this pack is my whole life. I just need to know what the Cullens said so I can better protect all of you. I'm responsible for the members of this pack whether you think the pack is stupid or not. If you heard something when visiting Bella that can help us, I need to know."

"I didn't go to the Cullens on an espionage mission, Sam," Jacob said, quiet and nervous. "I was there to see Bella."

"Bella must have said _something,_ " Sam argued. "Carlisle must have said something. The war general? The prophet?"

"They didn't tell me knew information," Jacob recalled. "It was just a lot of arguing about whether Bella should keep the baby. The bloodsuckers don't seem to be in agreement on it. The blonde one wants to keep it, but I think everyone else is on our side. They don't think Bella's gonna survive the delivery," he added quietly, not wanting to consider the likely possibility of Bella's death. Sam understood and didn't pry into the subject further.

"What about Carlisle?" Sam asked. "Did he say anything useful? I couldn't tell what side he was on when I was there."

"Dr. Fang was just rambling about 'ensuring peace between our groups' like he always does," Jacob said. "But he also told me that you promised that Quileute can sense the species of Bella's unborn child? It didn't sound much like you and he could've been lying. Did you really promise that?"

"I did," Sam nodded. Leah stifled a laugh. "I thought it was something we could do. She smelled like vampire venom to me and she didn't transform. I made an inference."

"She's surrounded by vampires, Sam," Jacob reminded. "I don't think it's her child. I told Carlisle that I don't think we can really do that."

"You told them I was wrong? In front of everyone?" Sam asked. "That's not going to help my reputation with those people. Some of them might think I'm a compulsive liar."

"I told them you were an idiot, not a liar," Jacob said casually. Sam merely stared at Jacob wordlessly. He wasn't sure if it was Sam's very dark eyes or if it was wolf-instinct adding in the Alpha factor, but Jacob knew it was the wrong thing to say. "I take it back."

"Mhm," Sam nodded. "Smart werewolf."

"Look," Jacob started. "I was standing right next to Bella and her child didn't seem distinctly vampire or human. Does that count as _checking the species_ to you?"

Sam didn't immediately reply. Any pack member knew that when Sam didn't reply, it probably wasn't good news. As much as the pack tried to deny it, Sam was still a loose cannon in a lot of fields and probably wasn't the most qualified pack member to be the Alpha. Jacob held his breath for what Sam would say. _I'm dead. I'm so dead._

"Alright," Sam nodded. "I'll discuss this with the council tomorrow. I've had enough for today."

_I'm not dead. How is that possible?_

"We done here, then?" Quil asked, nervously speaking up for the first time. "All of the apples have been kicked already."

"Consider this field all kicked-out for the day," Sam nodded. "I gotta see Emily. Today has been more stress than I bargained for."

"Peace out, Alpha Sam," Jacob yelled as Sam turned to walk away.

"Never say that again," Sam called over his shoulder, seemingly tried to hide a small smile. Leah watched from the sidelines bitterly. _I need to see Emily,_ Leah repeated in her head. It irritated her that Emily could make everything better for Sam just by standing there and being his imprint. Quil and Embry said goodbyes to Jacob that Leah couldn't properly hear, being lost somewhere in her own thoughts, as Quil and Embry ran to catch up to Sam, talking about something Leah assumed had no real importance. Seth tapping her shoulder was the only thing that brought her back to reality.

"You ready to bounce?" Seth asked. It was the first time Leah heard him speak in hours, and she forgot just how much she relied on her brother for sanity. She would've done anything he said in that moment. Leah was lucky all he was asking to do was leave.

"Just about," Leah said quietly, remembering Jacob was still standing near them. "What're you waiting on, Jacob?"

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "You, I guess. Wanted to apologize."

"Why didn't you go with Quil and Embry? Aren't they your best friends?"

"They are," Jacob nodded. "But I needed to apologize to you first."

"Apology accepted," Leah said hastily, looking back at Seth. "You're now free to frolic with your friends."

"You're one of my friends, aren't you? Or a pack sister at the very least."

" _Pack sister,_ that's a fancy word," Leah laughed darkly, looking for Seth again. "You coming, Seth?"

"I'll catch up," Seth assured, heading to the edge of the forest. "I'm gonna check on Collin and Brady."

"Good luck, amigo," Jacob put in before turning in the vague direction of his house, Leah on his left. Seth wandered off to the edge of the clearing slowly. He wasn't sure what he would find in the pack mind and briefly considered that maybe Jared and Paul knew what they were doing. Leah watched him go, walking backwards to keep up with Jacob. She nearly tripped over an apple several times, which Jacob found amusing.

"Where'd you learn that sick move?" Jacob asked. "Maybe you could teach me that sometime."

"Remind me again why Collin and Brady needed to be babysat by Jared and Paul?" Leah asked, ignoring his quip and turning forward.

"Sam was convinced that they would die of sad because we were arguing or something."

"Don't Collin and Brady hear us argue all the time, though? Don't they argue with each _other?"_

"Step one of surviving pack life is to not question the Alpha's dumb decisions."

"No fair, you get the Surviving the Quileute Pack handbook and I don't?"

"Didn't the Council of Elders give you a copy with an apple and a wolf sticker when you joined the pack?"

"I think so, but I may have eaten the wolf sticker and stuck the apple to my wall."

Jacob laughed, and with that, the moment was over. He looked fine, all things considered, to Leah's assessment. Usually he returned from Bella's heartbroken, upset, angry, or all of the above. But Leah was surprised to find that he appeared to be okay, at least from the outside. _Maybe he's just distracted,_ Leah figured. Jacob Black wasn't always as complicated as the pack mind implied. Leah sighed. _There's only one surefire way to find out._

"How did things go with the Leech Lover?" Leah asked, turning back to check for her brother again, but he was already gone.

"She looked terrible and she'll probably die soon," Jacob grumbled, his mood deflating. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well I do. The world doesn't usually disintegrate problems based on how long ago you talked about them."

"That would be convenient," Jacob said quietly, and left it at that. Leah still wasn't satisfied.

"You ever think that maybe you're better off without her?" Leah posed. Jacob turned to face her before her question was even over.

"No," Jacob answered immediately and defensively. "She doesn't know what she's doing. She's gonna _die._ Doesn't that bother you?"

"She's made her choice, Jacob. If she dies, it was because of the choices she made, against all of our better judgment no less, so it wouldn't bother me. Give the girl some free will for once in your life and consider that maybe you're not the catch you think you are. It's whatever. It's over and done now. You can't do anything more for her."

"I can try," Jacob huffed. Normally he would've argued with her, but he didn't have the energy to. "She just doesn't know what she's doing. If only she'd give me a chance, I could -"

"Stop," Leah said firmly, bordering on yelling. "Just stop. I'm sick of hearing you talk about Bella. It's over between you two, and no amount of hot werewolf tears is ever gonna change that for her. It's _over_. You're driving everyone in this pack to insanity."

Jacob was silent. Of all the things he'd come to expect from Leah Clearwater, getting reprimanded surely shouldn't have surprised him, but with the way she had been acting towards him recently, he was beginning to question whether they could call each other friends.

"I never stopped having those gross dreams, you know. The ones where I kiss Bella and tell her I love her? The pack mind is _shared,_ Black."

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Jacob grumbled. "She's the only girl I've ever loved. I'll never love the same way again."

"Tell me about it," Leah said bitterly, sour memories of Sam's engagement returning to her. _We're not so different, Jacob and I,_ she mused to herself. "All you can do is move on now. She's married. She made her choice and sealed it with an expensive rock Eddie's rich daddy paid for. Do you know how much divorces cost?"

"Less than the engagement ring, I'm willing to bet."

"Not the point," Leah countered. "It's over between you two. She's married. I don't know how many different ways you want me to say it before you believe it."

"Just because she married someone else doesn't mean she doesn't love me anymore," Jacob retorted, slightly aggressively. Leah stopped walking and stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that thing that just came out of your mouth was just now, Black?" Leah asked. "I get that Bella is dumb as a rock and everything, but unless she's planning on becoming Mormon, one spouse will have to suffice. And she made her choice. And it wasn't you. You lost the game show. Get over it."

"Will you shut up?" Jacob yelled. "You don't know anything about this situation!"

"I know that every time you go to see Bella you come back miserable," Leah retorted. "This has been true for months now. It can't be a coincidence anymore. The girl isn't good for you. You're gonna need to learn to live without her because you're probably not getting rid of Eddie anytime soon."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine," Leah said exasperatedly. "Believe me or don't believe me, I don't have time for games. You can learn to get over her or you can just be miserable for the rest of your life. Just try to keep it out of the pack mind because we're all suffering secondhand sadness because of it."

Leah didn't wait for a reply to keep walking. She didn't need his company, she was just trying to get home. Maybe meet up with Seth on the way. Surely Collin and Brady were fine and didn't need a guardian, especially not one only a few years older. Seth was probably on his way back already, all Leah had to do was find him.

Jacob jogged up to Leah to catch up.

"Hold on, you don't get to just drop that bomb on me and leave," Jacob said. "What do I look like, Pearl Harbor?"

"Don't say that. And I've got nothing to say to you. If you don't want to listen to me, that's your thing. But I don't repeat myself."

"I _am_ listening. The problem is we aren't in agreement."

"Aren't we, though?" Leah posed. "You know I'm right about this. Bella isn't good for you, end of."

Jacob grunted as a response. Leah rolled her eyes. _You're impossible, Jacob Ephraim Black._

"I'll walk you home if you shut up," Leah offered. "Just try not to cry on the way there, it's really annoying."

Jacob nodded, ever silent. He rationed that he didn't have to take this, especially not from a pack subordinate, but he did anyway. Part of him was a little afraid of what Leah was capable of. She seemed to know everything he was insecure about, and worse, her mood towards it remained apathetic. _I'll throw her a bone,_ Jacob comforted himself with.

The walk to Jacob's house was quiet. So quiet that Leah was sure she could hear her own heartbeat. It was the type of uncomfortable silence she had grown used to with Sam but it hit differently with Jacob. She listened to see if Seth was approaching to save her from the scenario but it sounded like Seth was rather still with Collin and Brady or already home. _Why did I agree to this?_ Leah thought. _I could've just ditched him. Jacob can find his way home._ Jacob's familiar red house couldn't appear soon enough to Leah.

Jacob turned to Leah, expecting her to comment. All he got was a shrug, as if to say 'here you are'.

"Hello, Jacob," Billy Black greeted from the porch. "Leah," he added as an afterthought, much quieter. "What happened out there today?"

"Bella's back from her honeymoon earlier and will probably die in a month or less," Jacob replied matter-of-factly.

"That's the positive spirit I know and love," he replied, glancing to Leah for a half second every so often. Leah took the hint.

"I'll be going," Leah said quietly to Jacob, excluding Billy on purpose. She wanted to say something more but couldn't think of anything. "Bye."

"Bye," Jacob returned, equally quiet, as Leah walked away from the house, only looking over her shoulder when she was out of sight.

『••✎••』

 _I don't like this,_ was all Leah could come up with.

The ever-changing walk between the Black home and the Clearwater home seemed to talk a different amount of time whenever Leah walked it. She always seemed to have a lot to think about whenever she left Jacob's, and this time was no different. _I knew he didn't change,_ Leah thought solemnly, kicking a rock. _His life still revolves around Bella. It always has._ Leah sighed. Jacob hadn't stopped pursuing Bella, her absence in Isle Esme just made it easier to forget. But now that she was back, it was a jarring reminder just how devoted to Bella he was. _He's not fun anymore._

Leah hated to admit it, but she was beginning to like Jacob for who he was, and not hate him out of spite for who she thought he was. His unyielding obedience to Bella Cullen aside, he had a lot of good qualities. Good qualities that seemed to be entirely suspended by Bella's return. _Is this.. jealousy?_

Leah shook her head violently. No, not jealousy. She'd need to be in love with Jacob to truly be jealous of him. A usually quiet part of Leah's mind posed a question it didn't get to finish. _No,_ she thought towards it before it could speak it into the universe. _I'm not in love with Jacob. I just.. miss having a casual friend who isn't my brother._

Sue was waiting on the porch when she arrived home. As Leah walked up the back steps, Sue handed her a juice box.

"You have an infinite supply of these," Leah said. The sourness of apple juice in a box didn't sound as appealing to Leah as it usually did. It would feel too close to the sourness of her train of thought from mere seconds earlier. As soon as she walked in, she casually handed it to Seth wordlessly. Seth looked back at her.

 _Dammit,_ Leah thought. _I was doing so well, too._

"Has anyone watered the tree yet?" Leah asked to nobody in particular. "It can handle some more," she said, grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge and heading back outside and towards the potted gift. She could tell Seth followed her out. Her brother was so unreasonably good at detecting when people felt off that it was almost annoying.

"A water bottle?" Seth asked suspiciously. _Fuck off, little bro, you already have me checkmated._ Leah nodded casually.

"Pinewood is a member of the bourgeoisie from now on. He gets the good shit now," Leah said, dumping half the bottle on it. Seth watched her silently. _I'm gonna punch your teeth out, I swear to God._ Leah tried to act as nonchalant as she could, sitting down by the stairs. Seth didn't leave. "I'm fine."

"Well the thing about that is that it's a lie."

"Lemme learn you a thing about the world, squirt. When people say they're fine and they're really not, it doesn't mean they're in denial. It means they don't wanna talk about it. This pack already has someone to obsess about the well-being of everyone else and his name is Quil Ateara."

"Well someone's gotta look out for people when Quil's not here," Seth said. "Especially when it's you, Lee. You're my big sister."

"Seth, I love you, but I'd rather do this alone," Leah shot back, annoyed. She didn't need anyone else to know that she was struggling about how she felt about Jacob Black. It was bad enough it would be on blast the next time she phased, she would rather have had one last night of privacy under the stars to be alone with her thoughts, maybe the last time they would ever truly be private just to her. Leah forced herself to look away from Seth, lest his reaction tear her apart.

"Just 'cause you're a wolf doesn't mean you have a lone wolf this," Seth said thoughtfully as he turned to walk away. He could tell when his presence was helping and when it wasn't. "Think about it, 'kay? I'll just be, uh.. eating some oranges or something."

"Yeah, you do that," Leah mumbled quietly as her brother left her alone. _I'm seriously losin' my mind over here,_ she concluded. _I can't believe Jacob fuckin' Black is making me question my existence over here. I don't even like Jacob!_

Leah had to correct herself. Had it been a few weeks earlier, she would have let it slide, but this time she couldn't. She knew in her heart that it wasn't true anymore. Leah sighed. _I do like Jacob,_ she admit to herself. _As a friend-ish figure, anyway._ She shook her head. This wasn't about whether or not she considered Jacob good or bad company before. This was about how Bella ruined any chance he had at being good now. _Isabella Swan is a plague on our nation._

The stars didn't calm the discourse in her mind, but they did offer peace and serenity. The stars were the one thing that never changed. No matter how much her life would be shifted and altered by the world around her, there was a calming sense of familiarity in the night sky, ever unchanging for thousands of years. Leah looked for answers in the constellations but she came up blank. She briefly considered if she should've swallowed her pride and asked Seth to stay. But it was too late now. It was just Leah Clearwater, distant traces of the Leah-wolf, and whatever thoughts she still had in her head. Of all the gentle turmoil and quiet turbulence, one thought rang clear.

_What am I gonna do about Jacob Black?_


End file.
